The Kavalan family, now available at Wild About Whisky Bar and Retail. This Taiwanese distillery is producing among the best malts available, running away with some of the industry’s most prestigious awards.
Kavalan Single Malt
The flagship malt from the Taiwanese distillery, named after the indigenous peoples of Yilan County: the Kavalan.
Nose: Pink sweets, pineapple juice, rich tropical fruit chews bursting with juicy aromatic notes.
Palate: Full, sweet exotic fruit flavours, the malt spiced with gorgeous toasted oak and mango dominating the long finish.
Kavalan Concertmaster Port Cask
Nose: Sweetly stewed red berries, cranberries dominating with rich rumtopf and red liquorice on the nose.
Palate: Thin on the tongue but toffee-sweet with iced mocha, chili chocolate and a lingering malt and vinous finish.
Moreish, delicious and a nicely balanced malt.
Kavalan King Car
Matured in 8 different barrels and casks, including sherry, bourbon and wine, the Conductor was selected to reflect the multi-armed nature of their parent company King Car.
Nose: Signature Kavalan tropical fruits, sherry trifle, butterscotch, an exotic fruit salad smothered in toffee custard.
Palate: Rich & oily, bursting with tropical fruit flavours, hot , peppery spice on the mid palate, with sherry soaked mangoes on the finish, lingering into sweetly charred oak.
Kavalan Podium
Best Taiwanese Single Malt 2016
Incense, perfume, cubes of mango, hints of caramel – a cedar tree in summer – the nose is light and balanced. A perfumer’s scent, but desperately easy on the palate. The flavour profile is long ad sweet, gradually morphing from honey into lemon.
Kavalan Solist Vinho Cask (No longer available)
World’s Best Single Malt 2016
Nose: A compelling marinated European oak stew of plums, dates, liquorice,dark toffee and mocha.
Palate: Dessert wine sweet, this is a flavour extravaganza, with dark chocolate and cloves and an exotic finish of raisins and prunes seeped in a spicy Sangria.
Kavalan Solist Sherry Cask
Nose: Poached plums and stewed prunes, pressed raisins and sultanas, inky molasses, a hint of tobacco and liquorice, a cornucopia of dark and red fruits dusted with sweet spice mesmerise the nose.
Palate: Rich, robust with spicy red berries, the palate mimics the nose creating a perfect balance. There is sweet sherry on the tip of the tongue, then a hot stew of plums and prunes drying to a heavy European wooded finish, the raisins lingering on for eternity. Magnificent!
Kavalan Solist Bourbon Cask
Nose: Molten toffee and malted barley dominate the nose with floral freesia top notes and sweet pears.
Palate: Fudge-sweet on the tip of the tongue, combustive and salt-laden, leaving a short barley-infused chenin blanc on the short finish. One of the few cask strength expressions that exceeds expectations when a dash of water is added, the toffee vanillas are boosted tenfold, taming the explosive mid palate, the finish still short, vinous and salty but now well balanced with the rest of the palate. Delicious!