Glengyle (Kilkerran)
Pair Glengyle (Kilkerran) with a round
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The reborn Glengyle distillery, re-opened by Springbank’s owners in 2004 specifically to get Campbeltown recognised as a whisky region again. Bottled under the Kilkerran name to avoid confusion with an old Glengyle blend.
Glengyle (Kilkerran) is Campbeltown's youngest distillery — reopened in 2004 by Springbank's owners specifically to maintain Campbeltown's status as a whisky region (requiring three distilleries). Bottled as Kilkerran (the old Gaelic name), the releases have been building in quality and complexity. Work in Progress series showed steady improvement; the 12 and 16 Year Old core expressions are now serious whiskies.
Visiting Glengyle (Kilkerran)
Contact distillery
Campbeltown, Argyll
PA28 6EX
- Shop
- Café/Restaurant
- Parking
Core range
Kilkerran 12 Year Old
46% ABV · 70% bourbon, 30% sherry; lightly peated
Kilkerran is the malt from Glengyle (J&A Mitchell, Springbank's parent). Demand permanently outstrips supply — when available, snap it up.
- Nose:
- Soft peat, oak, vanilla, faint salt.
- Palate:
- Layered — lightly peated malt, oak, sherry edge, faint mineral.
- Finish:
- Long, drying, gentle smoke.
Kilkerran 8 Cask Strength
56% ABV · Bourbon or sherry, annual batches
Annual cask-strength release — bourbon and sherry batches alternate. Sells out in days when allocations open.
- Nose:
- Concentrated malt, oak, faint peat, alcohol heat.
- Palate:
- Big — oak, malt, peat, sherry sweetness (sherry batches), salt.
- Finish:
- Long, drying.
Food pairings
| Whisky | Food | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Kippers or smoked trout |
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Where to eat nearby
- Café na MaraCafé
- The Wee ToonPub
Where to stay near Glengyle (Kilkerran)
Glengyle (Kilkerran) is the third Campbeltown distillery, on the edge of town near Glen Scotia. Campbeltown's small cluster of three distilleries makes it uniquely possible to visit all three working malts in a single day. The Ardshiel Hotel is the base; the journey from Glasgow takes 3 hours by road through scenic Kintyre — consider stopping at Inveraray (Castle, great café) on the way.
Where to stay near Glengyle (Kilkerran)
Hotels, B&Bs, and self-catering within easy reach of Glengyle (Kilkerran).
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Location
Campbeltown, Argyll, PA28 6EX
View on map →Frequently asked questions
+Why is it called Kilkerran, not Glengyle?
Glengyle (the distillery name) couldn't be used for the single malt because it was already trademarked for a blend. Kilkerran is the old Gaelic name for Campbeltown.
+Why was Glengyle reopened?
Campbeltown required three working distilleries to maintain its regional whisky designation. Springbank's owners reopened Glengyle specifically to preserve this status.
+Where is Glengyle (Kilkerran) distillery?
Glengyle (Kilkerran) is in Campbeltown. Postcode PA28.
+When was Glengyle (Kilkerran) distillery founded?
Glengyle (Kilkerran) was founded in 2004, making it roughly 22 years old.
Compare with similar distilleries
Similar character to Glen Scotia at the same age. Less celebrated than Springbank but from the same owners — quality control is high.
Glen Scotia
One of the last three surviving distilleries in Campbeltown and a genuine whisky-geek favourite. Complex, coastal, lightly peated, and increasingly hard to ignore even in the shadow of neighbouring Springbank.
Springbank
Cult favourite and the only distillery in Scotland doing every single step of production — from floor malting to bottling — on one site. Family-owned, allocation-only, fanatically loved.
Other distilleries owned by J & A Mitchell
Distilleries that share Glengyle (Kilkerran)'s corporate parent — useful context if you're comparing house styles within an owner's stable.
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