Excerpt: The finish reminds a bit of a root-beer-flavored Life Saver candy, which makes it a fun sip. A drop of water makes the hot finish a bit more creamy.
Excerpt: The body brings out those chocolate notes, touched with a surprising licorice note and some extra spices — lemon pepper, cloves, and a healthy slug of wood. Wild and, again, exotic stuff.
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House Review
Intro:
"To mature their Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique expression, the King Car distillers in Taiwan use casks which have held both red and white wines, before being re-toasted. The whisky is fully matured in these casks to help their Taiwanese single malt develop a bold, expressive flavour profile brimming with berry, plum and caramelised sugar notes."
Nose:
Vanilla, caramel, light nuanced stewed fruits, honey and strawberry
Taste:
Medium, mild heat, sweet honey, caramel, jammy strawberry and raspberry, cocoa, vanilla. Complex and much more nuanced.
Finish:
Long, sweet but mild heat. Jammy fruit blends well with cocoa and honey.
Overall:
This is a complete standout against the other kavalan I've had so far. Much more complex, far better integration of flavors. Very good.
Score:
7
By t8ke
Our in house critic rates spirits on a scale of 0-10 (10 best) and is aggregated the same as external sources