"Ilk" definitely has a negative or dismissive connotation, at least in the US. You would never use it to express positive thoughts; you would use "stature" or similar.
The denotation may not be negative, but if you use ilk in what you see as a neutral way, people will get a different message than you're trying to send.
I would be curious to see an example of 'ilk' being used in a modern, non-sottish local, context where the association is being shown in a neutral or positive light.
