Bought – Online Whisky Auction, 19th May 2014
84.7/100 – Whiskybase (average from 9 member votes) – 198ml version
Nearly 85/100 on Whiskybase is a very good score where someone comments “Pretty drinkable and enjoyable. Really not bad.” This is for the 198ml bottle. My example is the 48ml miniature which scores 87/100 from one vote here.
Although Jim Murray in his Whisky Bible hasn’t reviewed this specific Taiwanese malt, of the 9 mentioned in the 2014 edition, 7 score over 90/100 and 2 in the high 80s. The ‘ex bourbon oak’ (closest to my version) scores 93/100, although only 46%. My version is cask strength at 58.2%. I was hoping the Malt Maniacs might have reviewed my bottling but sadly they haven’t. Or perhaps that’s a good thing because it shows how rare my version is! 🙂
Kavalan distillery was founded in Taiwan in 2005 and released its first bottlings in 2008. Since then it’s gone from strength to strength, picking up awards and getting comments like “somehow managed to make this Taiwanese malt more top quality Scotch in character than anything of its age you can find in the Highlands” (quote from Jim Murray, Whisky Bible 2014, about the latest Kavalan ‘Sherry Oak’).
If you haven’t tried Kavalan I’d recommend tracking some down. The entry-level NAS (non aged statement) bottle can be found in certain supermarkets here in the UK and is excellent (scoring 91/100 in the latest Whisky Bible).
Tasting notes left on Whiskybase for 198ml version:
Nose: Very rich, intensive sweet wood and vanilla notes, tropical fruits, coconut, ripe bananas, pineapples, pears, flowers
Taste: Punchy, fruity, pears, vanilla, wood notes, oily and liquorice
Finish: Medium long, burning
Whisky Den 