In fashion, there is a little something called the “show stopper” which closes all the prancing and posing with panache and much applause. In our NAS whisky night, there was no doubt this Kavalan Solist Peaty Cask was the hit of the night!

Over the years I’ve become a Kavalan convert. From a slightly disappointing start with the Concertmaster I picked up in Taipei to most recently a fantastic quick zip through their full core range at Whisky Live Singapore, there have been a few stunners along the way… particularly from the Solist Sherry Casks.

So when I spotted this Peaty Cask at Singapore airport, it simply had to be acquired and fit perfectly into our original club’s NAS themed evening. What makes it particularly interesting is the spirit isn’t peated… instead the peat comes from a cask that previously held a peaty Islay whisky, bringing a more subtle approach to peat dimension.

Kavalan Peaty Cask No R091214006A Bottle No 043/137 54.8%

Here is what we found:

• Nose – Citrus lemon spice, bitter almond, oranges, apricots, subtle curl of smoke or perhaps a whiff of leather, vanilla
• Palate – Peat, chocolate, coffee, oily and well-rounded, fruity, cinnamon
• Finish – Fabulous! Long, lightly peated with a hint of ginger spice

The initial reaction was “Aaah… nice!” Then as we became more acquainted with it, “Oh! Really nice!” which then became “Very very good!” and overall degenerated into “Yummy!!!”

Overall our conclusion that while age plays a role, it is completely possible to have a complex, interesting and worthy dram when the whisky in question is one like this Kavalan.

Here’s what they have to say:

• Nose – Rich in honey, toffee, bees wax and coconut. With water, more of the classic tropical fruit notes especially golden kiwi comes through. Very delicious and refreshing…
• Palate – More toffee and butterscotch bring a peaty taste but rather subdued and more earthy than maritime. 
• Finish – The finish is quite long with peppery notes of red chili. 

It is a perfectly balanced and quite complex – a beautiful whisky!

What else did we try in our NAS evening?

• France – Guillon Banyuls (2015) 43%
• Highland – Oban Little Bay 43%
• Islands – Arran Port Finish 50%

Other Kavalan’s explored include:

• Kavalan Concertmaster Port Cask Finish 40%, Whisky Ladies Revisit
• Kavalan Solist Ex-Bourbon Cask No B101124001A, Bottle 102/230 58.6%
• Kavalan Solist Sherry Cask S1001200358, Bottle No 025/507 57.8%
• Kavalan Solist Sherry Cask S081229026 Bottle No 421/527 55.6%
• Kavalan Solist Sherry Cask S090102020 Bottle No 258/511 57.1%
• Kavalan at Whisky Live Singapore 2016

You can also find Whisky Lady in India on:

• Facebook Whisky Lady in India – https://www.facebook.com/WhiskyLadyIN 
• Twitter @WhiskyLadyIN