An extreme Kavalan session


July 17, 2017

An extreme Kavalan session

There aren’t that many distilleries that are doing hundreds of official single casks, probably because it’s a chore to do that. But the ones that did or do have proven highly successful, for example Glendronach/Benriach, the Japanese, and of course Kavalan over there in Taiwan. It’s true that we haven’t tried Kavalan since many moons – we’ve been a bit lazy - so today is their day at WF Towers. And for even more fun, we’ll do that randomly, since tasting, say five ex-PX casks at CS in a row can get a little tiring… So, really totally at random and with no net…

Kavalan 2009/2016 (56.3%, OB, Taiwan, CC Balance, Port cask, cask #O090908012A, 191 bottles)

Distilled in 2009 and bottled in November of 2016, so technically seven years old, I wager. I think it is not a quick finishing, the whisky spent all its life in a Port cask. Colour: dark amber. Nose: I like my ex-Port whisky when it’s not ridden with clashing raspberries and assorted other red berries, and that’s not the case at all here. It’s a rather earthy one, with notes of black pipe tobacco, prunes, an old cake of Pu-erh tea, a little tar, and quite some old Armagnac. No straight Port notes, that’s cool (and yes I’m fond of Port wine). With water: raisins and raisin cakes, currant buns, sesame seed loaves, a little hay… Mouth (neat): rich, very powerful, and this time there are bags of raspberries, crème de cassis, black raisins, and in the background, quite a lot of cracked black pepper and cloves. Works well but it’s a little aggressive so far. Nothing abnormal. With water: still not totally polished (by time) and a wee bit ‘PX-y’, but certainly very good. Remind me of many a youngish Glendronach. Finish: long and spicier. More black pepper, cinnamon, Seville oranges, bitter herbs… Comments: given that I usually like the ex-sherry ones much better, this ex-Port is doing very well in my book. May need a little breathing, I just opened the bottle. SGP:462 - 85 points.

Kavalan 2010/2016 'Solist' (55.6%, OB, Taiwan, Moscatel sherry cask, cask #S100623022A, 180 bottles)

With muscat/moscatel, some extreme sweetness should be expected, let’s see… Colour: golden amber. Nose: indeed this noses sweeter and more floral, with rose petals, overripe pears, perhaps dried longans and rambutans, but some main traits remain consistent, fresh cake, plum tarte, eucalyptus honey, and our beloved dried figs and dates. This is absolutely not what I had feared, unbalanced. With water: it’s true that it’s more ‘sherry’ than ‘moscatel’. Fig cake and pepper, plus this lovely earthy side that comes out after water’s been added. Mouth (neat): sweet and spicy, with the same slightly aggressive side that I had found in the ex-Port. Prickly pears, raisins, pepper, ginger, bitter oranges… With water: a creamier texture. Plum jam, green pepper, pomelos jam, candied ginger… Finish: long and almost as always, spicier. Caraway, cloves, pepper… A very, very discreet touch of rubber in the aftertaste, perhaps. Comments: very good whisky and perhaps one of the easiest Kavalans among the ‘Solists’. SGP:561 - 86 points.

Kavalan 2006/2015 (55.6%, OB, Taiwan, for Whisky Nerds, peated cask, cask #R061106107, 99 bottles)

Bear in mind that the cask was peated here (so it used to shelter peated whisky previously), while the new spirit wasn’t. A bit like Balvenie’s controversial Islay Cask, remember? Colour: bronze-y gold. Nose: ah! This is much rounder, smoother, easier, sexier, and not quite very peaty I have to say. Nectar, honey, plum juice, then indeed a wee medicinal smokiness (Laphroaig?) that goes totally well with this. Camphor and ripe plums, sounds unlikely. It’s not. With water: some oceanic whispers. Perhaps. Sea spray, empty seashells… Mouth (neat): more peat this time, there must have been quite a few litres remaining in the cask. Okay, in the wood. Some kind of spicy chutney, with some lemon grass, smoked marmalade, the wildest guavas, and a feeling of sucking an unlit menthol cigarette. Really unusual, but it works. With water: excellent, if unlikely. Smoked Seville oranges and quite some leather. Finish: long, both candied and spicy/peaty. Comments: a bit between two worlds, but I think it is very coherent – and very good - dram. SGP:563 - 88 points.

Kavalan 2008/2016 ‘Solist’ (56.3%, OB, Taiwan, CC Choice, sherry cask, cask #S081229033, 468 bottles)

Not too sure about which kind of sherry they’ve used here. BTW, its always reassuring that you have to break some kind of seal to open a bottle (hint, hint). Colour: light coffee. Nose: gunpowder, walnuts, chocolate, that’s very oloroso. Then soy sauce, beef stock, leather, and cigars, which is even more oloroso. There’s some sulphur for sure, but it’s the kind of unobtrusive sulphur that I rather enjoy. Ala Benrinnes, if you will. With water: gunpowder up! I’m sure the NRA would happily endorse this little bottle. Mouth (neat): wonderful! Liquorice, tar, marmalade, pepper, ginger, turmeric, prunes, raisins… This time we’re rather heading towards Glenfarclas. Hyper-sherried Glenfarclas, that is. With water: segmenting for sure. Ginger, rubber, truffles, marmalade… No eggs and no cooked cabbage, having said that. Finish: long and very dry, with much more cocoa powder, crunching coffee beans, dry walnut wine... Comments: these bottlings cannot not be controversial. I for one sometimes like them a lot when the sulphur is clean, as it is here. SGP:372 - 89 points.

Kavalan 2010/2016 (57.8%, OB, Taiwan, The Whisky Exchange, sherry cask, cask #S100125026A, 526 bottles)

I don’t quite know why they would call some single casks ‘Solists’ while some others, such as this one, are just ‘Selections’. Is there any logic behind that? I agree, not the most seminal question ever. Colour: office coffee. Nose: no gunpowder this time, rather tropical fruits macerated in walnut liqueur, cognac, and Demerara rum. Works greatly, That’s all I’ll say. With water: we’ve known cognacs… Mouth (neat): listen, this is cognac at cask strength. Quite. And it’s totally excellent, with these ripe peaches and juicy golden raisins. With water: what’s this spell? Rather Petite Champagne, I’d say… Finish: long, very peachy, with drops of Cointreau and the expected walnut wine in the aftertaste. Leafier aftertaste. Comments: completely different from the previous one, but in my book, of the very same high quality. Watch how the ‘SGP’ changes (if you’re so inclined). SGP:651 - 89 points.

Kavalan ‘Manzanilla Sherry Cask’ (56.7%, OB, decanter, 2015)

Part of a set done for La Maison du Whisky back in 2015. There was an amontillado as well, we’ll see if we can find that one in the Library… You do remember what Manzanilla is, don’t you! Yes, Fino matured on the coast, at Sanlucar. Colour: gold. Nose: a rather exceptional nose, much more refined and ‘millimetric’ than the others (those were bombs, really), with some melon ala Bruichladdich and some citrus ala Rosebank. Plus mirabelles and ripe white currants, as well as the faintest vanilla. With water: warm praline and vanilla cake. We’re talking high-end natural vanilla. Perhaps one small ripe banana. Mouth (neat): oh perfect. Citrus, orchard fruits, custard, lemon grass, spearmint, acacia honey, and quite some verbena. This baby’s much fresher and cleaner than the others. With water: little Manzanilla impact to be honest, but it’s a great drop, zesty and fruity, with perfect vanilla-ed coating. Finish: there, perhaps, a touch of mustard and a touch of salt. Comments: extremely good and certainly the most drinkable of them all. Piece of cake. SGP:651 - 89 points.

Kavalan 2010/2016 'Solist' (54%, OB, Taiwan, for Asia Palate Association, Moscatel sherry cask, cask #MO100623025A, 496 bottles)

Some Taiwanese whisky bottled for a Taiwanese association, what could go wrong? Colour: amber, that is to say darker than the other Moscatel. Nose: more restrained than that one, a notch grassier, and perhaps a touch more elegant. Cigarettes, orange blossom water, milk chocolate, and not many roses/litchis. Earl grey tea. Nothing bad to say this far. With water: superb! Some chalky notes coming out, beach sand, lemon oil, longans and rambutans again, orange blossom water… Mouth (neat): really very good, all on citrus this time, tangerines, papayas (I know, not citrus), oranges… I’m rather thinking of naked Dalmore this time. Love naked Dalmore and love this. With water: high-precision fruity/citrusy whisky. Finish: rather long, and a tad narrower, perhaps. Orange juice and hibiscus tea. Clear muscat in the aftertaste and ‘afternose’. Comments: I usually think that moscatel is a little vulgar. Well, this represents the best use of moscatel, ever. SGP:651 - 88 points.

Well, this is becoming a little mad. Perhaps one more, and we’ll have the other Kavalans (not to mention all the Nantous) we’ve got on the table later on, if you don’t disagree…

Kavalan 2008/2016 'Solist' (58.6%, OB, Taiwan, for Asia Palate Association, sherry cask, cask #S081219022, 491 bottles)

Ah, the same Taiwanese association, I guess nothing could go wrong either. Having said that, this one’s very very dark… Colour: coffee. Nose: but who’s the Einstein that stencilled an old cask of Port Mourant as Kavalan? An avalanche of Demerara sugar and stuff, plus tar and hot brake pads. Almost forgot to mention gunpowder. With water: garden peat, pipe tar, rubber bands, new tyres, dark caramel. Mouth (neat): not Port Mourant, rather Glenfarclas again. So, who’s the Einstein that stencilled one of Glenfarclas’ old Family Casks as Kavalan? I hope I won’t start a new whisky war… ;-). With water: a drop of Campari over dried fruits and a slightly sulphury maltiness. Finish: long, with ginger and cinchona up. More Campariness. Comments: another rather beastly one. You gotta love the beasts, for they’re so entertaining and economical (as you just cannot have more than two or four few cls at any given time). SGP:561 - 89 points.

Next time we’ll try to find a 90+…

Check the index of all Kavalan I've tasted so far