Springbank Substitutes III: Kilkerran 12yo, Amrut Fusion, Glen Garioch Renaissance 4th Chapter

It's time for a third entry in the series wherein we try to find single malt whiskies that can scratch the enthusiast's itch for Springbank without their having to overpay for the real thing at the last store in town that actually has a bottle of the stuff. The first time around (   • Springbank Substitutes: 10yo 100 proo...   ) it was Mortlach, Benromach, and Highland Park, and then it was a dive into my closet (   • Springbank Substitutes, Archive Editi...  ) with sherried Pulteney, peated Jura, and a rather magnificent Glen Scotia, all of them up against the ancient 10 Year Old 100 Proof that might be the last Springbank I'll ever buy at a reasonable price.

What have we got, then? First off, it's the most obvious (but also the most problematic) alternative of them all: Kilkerran. The Glengyle distillery is based in Campbeltown and it's owned and run by basically the same folks as Springbank, and it's good stuff (I already reviewed one of the heavily peated versions:    • Mainland Peatparison: Ballechin (Made...   ); it's just that it also has the same importers and much the same outrageous over-demand. Next up, following the same lightly peated pattern that made me pick Benromach and Highland Park, we're leaving Scotland entirely to try out Amrut Fusion (made from a blend of Indian and heavily peated Scottish malt). And then I wanted to throw in a Glen Garioch, not only because the basic 12 year old is so damned good (   • Deanston 12 v. Arran 10 v. Glen Gario...   ) but because something in that 12's minerally, unroasted-nuts profile seemed like it would make a worthy comparison... except this time we're stepping up the age, from 12 to 18. And here's how it went, both in terms of absolute quality and with my own patented 1-10 Springbank Substitution Index score:

Kilkerran 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Glengyle distillery; peated to 15 ppm, 70% ex-bourbon and 30% ex-sherry; bottled circa 2020; natural color, non-chillfiltered, 46% ABV), 88/100 and SSI 8.0/10
Amrut Fusion Single Malt Whisky (Bangalore; Batch 70, bottled 6/2018; 50% ABV), 87/100 and SSI 7.0/10
-Glen Garioch "The Renaissance: 4th Chapter" 18 Year Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (bourbon and sherry casks; bottled circa 2019; 50.2% ABV), 90/100 and SSI 8.0/10

So none of these is knocking Benromach out of the SSI top spot, but there's plenty to talk about. First, the Fusion is a delight, and even if it comes last in this company it still feels like something malt fans should seek out as a dramatically different take on the category. Second, the Kilkerran is actually far less Springbanky than anticipated: the sheer heaviness of SB isn't there, and the peat and the bourbon casks are very much in charge. It's still an excellent bottle and exactly what nerds like me have been demanding for years, but for my palate it's probably more a Caol Ila substitute than a Springbank one. Third, the Renaissance 4 is an absolute steal for what it is... and like the GG12, it's got a Springbanky sort of "vibe" to it while having very much its own profile. All good, fun lineup, and next week we're back to rums again!

Extra special thanks to my Different Spirits on Patreon (  / differentspirits  ) -

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