Kavalan Select No 2

Kavalan Select No 2

Official bottling 
Single malt - North Taiwan
Sunshine gold
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, salt caramel, photocopy paper, matches, malted grains, red grapes. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, warm, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Raisins, black tea, red grapes, photocopy paper, brass polish, cocoa nibs, hints of salt caramel. 
Finish: Medium. Black tea, brass polish, cocoa nibs, malted grains. 

Comments: 

Sweet and slightly savoury, really good and intense for a relatively entry level dram. Lots of raisins and other typical sherried notes, on top of a good malty spine.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Holy 4yo 2017/2021 Salvation Vino Cask

Holy 4yo 2017/2021 Salvation Vino Cask

Official bottling 
Single malt - North Taiwan
Red brown
64.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Bubble gum, cucumbers, marshmallows, strawberry laces, foam shrimp, rubber bands, mint, hints of fresh cut grass. With water, rubber bands, raisins, cucumbers, hints of new plastic. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, tingly, oily. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Bubble gum, rubber bands, rye bread, black pepper, mint, dill, foam shrimp, fresh cut grass. With water, iodine, rye bread, cucumbers, rubber bands. 
Finish: Short. Rye bread, foam shrimp, dill, rubber bands, cucumbers. 

Comments: 

Very estery and bubble gummy. It’s an odd whisky, there’s no indication of what the cask was, and it’s got some herbal notes underneath all that sweetness that clash a little bit. A very bracing introduction to Holy distillery for me.

Verdict:

Not bad. 

Nantou 5yo Batch 2

Nantou 5yo Batch 2

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Master of Malt
Single malt - Central Taiwan
Golden 
52% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peanuts, photocopy paper, peat, smoke, lemon zest, pears, hints of smoky bacon. With water, smoky bacon, pears, peanuts, hints of leather. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, expands, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sour bitter. Charcoal ash, peat, honey, lemon zest, fresh cut grass, smoke, hints of brass polish. With water, charcoal ash, smoky bacon, pears, peat. 
Finish: Medium. Charcoal ash, smoke, lemon zest, fresh cut grass. 

Comments: 

Peated Nantou, unusual and a treat. It’s ashy and meaty, some feinty and herbal notes are evident under that smoky cloak. It all fades to an ashy, intensely bitter finish. Intriguing.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Kavalan Distillery Select No 1

Kavalan Distillery Select No 1

Official bottling 
Single malt - North Taiwan
Amber
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, butterscotch, desiccated coconut, cloves, cream, hints of marmalade. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, syrupy, thickens slightly, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Butterscotch, raisins, oatcakes, honey, cloves, fresh baked bread, cream. 
Finish: Medium. Raisins, black tea, oatcakes, fresh baked bread, hints of liquorice. 

Comments: 

A lighter, maltier Kavalan. There’s some of that characteristic cloves and liquorice, but the dominant notes are oatcakes, cream and bread. Decent stuff, as Kavalan often is.

Verdict:

I like this.

Nantou Omar Orange Brandy Barrel Finished

Nantou Omar Orange Brandy Barrel Finished

Official bottling 
Single malt - Central Taiwan
Pale orange 
55% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange peel, lemon zest, malted grains, hoppy beer, manuka honey, white pepper, hints of peaches. With water, manuka honey, orange peel, lemon zest, fresh baked bread. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, hot, thickens, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Orange peel, manuka honey, fresh baked bread, ink, magic marker, malted grains, white pepper, hints of peaches. With water, malted grains, ink, fresh baked bread, oatcakes. 
Finish: Medium. Orange peel, ink, malted grains, white pepper, hints of marmalade. 

Comments: 

My last sample of Omar quirky finishes. This isn’t as orangey as you might think, instead there’s a complex honeyed sweetness, and a slightly chemical estery undertone. Drinkable and pleasant.

Verdict:

I like this.

Nantou Omar Lychee Liqueur Barrel Finished

Nantou Omar Lychee Liqueur Barrel Finished 

Official bottling 
Single malt - Central Taiwan 
Bright orange gold
56% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, malted grains, leather, raisins, raspberry jam, tobacco leaf, sea salt, hints of roast pork. With water, marmalade, honey, raspberry jam, malted grains, pear drops. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, cool, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Raspberry jam, lychees, sea salt, marmalade, green tea, raisins, honey, hints of tobacco leaf. With water, lychees, raspberry jam, marmalade, black tea, pear drops. 
Finish: Short. Marmalade, raspberry jam, lychees, honey, hints of roast pork. 

Comments: 

Cask 21090565, 569, 567. Not as lychee forward as I thought it would be. Instead, there’s a lot of jam and sweet honey, and herbal tobacco. Lychee notes appear almost as an afterthought. Still, quite interesting and eminently drinkable.

Verdict:

I like this.

Nantou Omar Plum Liqueur Barrel Finish (Cask Strength)

Nantou Omar Plum Liqueur Barrel Finish (Cask Strength)

Official bottling 
Single malt - Central Taiwan
Orange gold
55% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, orange peel, umeshu, strawberries, damson jam, cloves, fresh baked bread, hints of sea salt. With water, umeshu, orange peel, cloves, fresh baked bread. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, hot, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Damson jam, umeshu, cloves, fresh baked bread, black pepper, sea salt, hints of fish sauce, hints of chocolate. With water, chocolate, cloves, orange peel, fresh baked bread. 
Finish: Long. Damson jam, brown paper, black pepper, malted grains. 

Comments: 

Casks 11110162, 11110183, 11110224. Intensely flavoured, probably due to the maturation and finishing in warmer temperatures. It veers towards sickly sweet though, although there are some savoury notes underneath if you try hard. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Nantou Omar Black Queen Wine Finish

Nantou Omar Black Queen Wine Finish

Official bottling 
Single malt - Central Taiwan
Red bronze
56% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, dried strawberries, orange peel, sandalwood, sea salt, coffee, mint, milk chocolate. With water, orange peel, strawberry laces, pomegranates. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, warm, tingly. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Violets, milk chocolate, raisins, rye bread, sea salt, vanilla sponge, black tea, coffee, hints of artificial grape flavour. With water, cinnamon, black tea, gas, violets, raisins. 
Finish: Long. Rye bread, milk chocolate, artificial grape flavour, hints of gas. 

Comments: 

Complicated and intense. This is quite an unusual wine cask finished whisky, lots of floral and winey notes, but also cereally and feinty. It rewards introspection, which is exactly what I want, most of the time.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Kavalan Triple Sherry Cask

Kavalan Triple Sherry Cask 

Official bottling 
Single malt - North Taiwan
Copper red
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Artificial grape flavour, cocoa nibs, raisins, black tea, strawberry jam, nutmeg, hints of dark chocolate. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, warm, slippery. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Black tea, coffee, dark chocolate, dried apricots, peaches, artificial grape flavour, hints of acacia honey. 
Finish: Short. Coffee, black tea, cocoa nibs, peaches, artificial grape flavour. 

Comments: 

Sweet and luscious, quite fruity and estery, this whisky is surprisingly complex, despite its lack of an age statement and the low ABV. Plenty of pleasingly bitter notes in the finish as well. Good dram.

Verdict:

I like this.

Kavalan Solist Moscatel Cask (Cask MO100623031A)

Kavalan Solist Moscatel Cask (Cask MO100623031A)

Official bottling 
Single malt - North Taiwan
Dark amber red 
56.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Black tea, black cherries, orange peel, honey, raisins, champagne, fresh baked bread. With water, fresh baked bread, vanilla, orange peel, champagne, cough syrup. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, syrupy, hot, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Black cherries, orange peel, honey, vanilla, golden syrup, raisins, hints of white grapes. With water, orange peel, champagne, cough syrup. 
Finish: Medium. Sea salt, fresh baked bread, raisins, black pepper. 

Comments: 

Complex and impressive wine cask finished whisky from Kavalan. I find my tastes have changed over the years though - it’s a little too intense, even with quite a bit of water. Lots of good fruity notes, though, very straightforward whisky. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Omar Single Malt (Sherry Cask)

Omar Single Malt (Sherry Cask)

Official bottling 
Single malt - Central Taiwan

Amber gold 
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, fresh baked bread, apple juice, prunes, hints of orange peel. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, slippery, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Fresh baked bread, raisins, apple juice, cloves, orange peel, hints of plums. 
Finish: Medium. Dark chocolate, fresh baked bread, orange peel, prunes. 

Comments: 

Discontinued version of Nantou’s standard sherried malt. It’s quite lovely, with deep intense notes of dried fruity and chocolate, with some nice cereal underpinning it. It’s probably only around 5 years old, but aged in a warmer climate, so tastes more intense than some 10 year old Scotches.

Verdict:

I like this.

Omar Single Malt (Bourbon Cask)

Omar Single Malt (Bourbon Cask)

Official bottling
Single malt - Central Taiwan
Amber
46% ABV
Bottle

Nose: Raisins, chocolate, vanilla, honey, pears. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, slippery, slightly tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Chocolate, raisins, pears, walnuts, hints of coffee. 
Finish: Medium. White grapes, raisins, chocolate, hints of lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Now discontinued, this is the original entry level bottling from Nantou distillery, bourbon cask finish. It didn't get good reviews while it was being produced, but I was pleasantly surprised. It's chocolatey and earthy on the tongue, with lots of sweet fruity notes throughout. Highly drinkable NAS whisky, bottled at a decent strength.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Kavalan Solist Sherry Cask (Cask S100211007A)

Kavalan Solist Sherry Cask (Cask S100211007A)

Official bottling
Single malt - North Taiwan
Mahogany
57.1% ABV
Bottle

Nose: Red grapes, strawberries, raisins, cashews, vanilla, grape toffee, black tea. With water, cashews, raisins, cloves, hints of peanuts. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, oily, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Raisins, honey, gingerbread, dried apricots, grape toffee, walnuts, cloves, hints of cinnamon. With water, honey, raisins, cloves, black tea. 
Finish: Long. Cloves, raisins, pomegranate molasses, dried apricots. 

Comments: 

Cask S10021007A. I occasionally find Kavalan over-sweet, even over-sherried, but there's enough complexity in this whisky to offset the sherry sweetness. It's oily, slightly dusty, and very heavily spiced. There's a rather magnificent, drawn out, pomegranate molasses note in the finish.

Verdict:

I like this.

Yushan Single Malt Bourbon Cask

Yushan Single Malt Bourbon Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - Central Taiwan
Pale gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon juice, fried eggs, honey, malted grains, white grapes. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, warm, watery, loosens. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Honey, white grapes, white chocolate, coffee, fried eggs, lemon juice. 
Finish: Medium. Coffee, white grapes, honey, fried eggs, dark chocolate. 

Comments: 

A light, fresh, summery whisky, but strangely, retains some sulphurous character more often found in sherried whiskies. Maybe it's a characteristic of the distillate. That mildly confusing note aside, there's plenty to like here - fresh lemon juice, white chocolate, and gentle bitter coffee. I think I prefer this to the sister sherried bottling.

Verdict:

I like this.

Yushan Signature Sherry Cask

Yushan Signature Sherry Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - Central Taiwan
Yellow
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Coffee, winter melon, dark chocolate, orange peel, lemon zest, black tea. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, slightly oily, slippery. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Black tea, walnuts, coffee, red grapes, dark chocolate, lemon zest, dried pears. 
Finish: Medium. Winter melon, orange peel, lemon zest, dark chocolate. 

Comments: 

A malt from Nantou, the elusive Taiwanese distillery, although maybe not so elusive now. This is a replacement for the old Omar series. It's surprisingly lightly coloured for a sherry finished whisky, but there's no mistaking the sherry influence. Winter melon, dark chocolate, it's more subtle than the Kavalans.

Verdict:

I like this.

Kavalan Rum Cask

Kavalan Rum Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - North Taiwan
Amber
57.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Black tea, caramel, raisins, malted grains, dark chocolate, hints of coffee. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, turns watery, loosens, airy. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Fresh baked bread, coffee, dark chocolate, orange blossom, marmalade. 
Finish: Medium. Black tea, orange blossom, lemon curd, dark chocolate. 

Comments: 

Cask M111104063A. Bitter, not overly sweet, but plenty of fragrant complex floral and fruit flavours. The rum cask showcases the cereally notes in the spirit, rather than overwhelming them like sherry casks do.

Verdict:

I like this.

Kavalan Sherry Oak

Kavalan Sherry Oak

Official bottling
Single malt - North Taiwan
Amber red
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Red grapes, red wine, honeycomb, jasmine tea, pear drops, hints of orange peel. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, tingly, slightly astringent, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Red grapes, lohan fruit, honey, caramel, vanilla, raisins, toffee, orange peel. 
Finish: Long. Jasmine tea, raisins, marmalade, caramel. 

Comments: 

Well, this is more 'classic' Kavalan - rich, intense, sherried, fruity, and very, very sweet. It's not unpleasant, and I know many people like this whisky style, but I feel it obscures the more interesting notes in a particular spirit. Nice, but I liked the other, less sweet expressions better.

Verdict:

I like this.

Kavalan Podium

Kavalan Podium

Official bottling
Single malt - North Taiwan
Dark gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, raisins, butterscotch, marmalade, golden syrup. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, syrupy, thickens, slightly oily. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Fresh baked bread, vanilla, raisins, marmalade, quince jelly, black tea. 
Finish: Short. Quince jelly, raisins, marmalade, hints of chocolate. 

Comments: 

Finished in a combination of sherry refill casks and virgin casks. I think this is really good whisky, over the years, I've concluded that I tend to find Kavalan overly sweet and sherried, and a lighter, less intense finish showcases the spirit a bit better. This expression is sweet, but has interesting complex notes of fruit, and slightly bitter notes of tea and chocolate. Very nice.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Kavalan Single Malt Port Cask

Kavalan Single Malt Port Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - North Taiwan
Pale red
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Red grapes, artificial grape flavour, fresh baked bread, orange peel, honey, pineapples. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, static, loose. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Red grapes, raisins, artificial grape flavour, pineapples, lemon zest, strawberries, hints of rolled oats. 
Finish: Long. Apple juice, lemon zest, raisins, pineapples, hints of strawberries. 

Comments: 

This isn't over-intense like many other Kavalan wine-wood finished expressions. There's a lot of artificial grape flavour, which may not sound great, but is a flavour note I enjoy very much. It was something I loved as a child, and this whisky brought back many wonderful memories. I loved it.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Kavalan Concertmaster

Kavalan Concertmaster

Official bottling
Single malt - North Taiwan
Amber
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Red grapes, brown paper, chocolate, blackcurrants, peaches, hints of coffee. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, slippery, slightly oily. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Blackcurrants, red grapes, raisins, chocolate, mangoes, hints of black tea. 
Finish: Short. Black tea, mangoes, coffee, hints of peaches. 

Comments: 

Port cask matured Kavalan. Loads of blackcurrant, like drinking Ribena mixed in with whisky. Good sherry flavours, plenty of fruit (mangoes and peaches, it's not just the usual red grapes). Young and a bit sulphurous, but otherwise really very good for the price.

Verdict:

I like this.