Tag Archives: Kavalan

BMC House of Dragons – Penderyn Hireath, Kavalan Grand Reserve 1 and 2

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The host for our Bombay Malt and Cigar evening decided the whisky tasting theme would be “House of Dragons” with a rather clever mix of Wales and Taiwan. Represented by distilleries we’ve had more than an evening or two exploring – yet never together in this way.

Here’s what was selected for our celebration of Dragons:

  • Penderyn Hireath 46%
  • Kavalan Grand Reserve No. 1 Amontillado Sherry 40%
  • Kavalan Grand Reserve No. 2 Madeira & Port 40%

Up first was a limited-edition from Penderyn distillery in Wales. We’ve tasted several Penderyn expressions – including their Penderyn Dragon range – Legend, Myth, Celt 41%. So what did we think of their “Hireath”?

Penderyn Hireath (2021) 46% – Icon of Wales #8

  • Nose – Nice and juicy, lots of orange sherbet, a bit like an orange cream stick! Floral – predominantly jasmine, some balsa wood and pine, pink and white striped peppermint candy, overall light and fruity
  • Palate – Nice spice, warming, young, and wood forward
  • Finish – Light

Overall, it was pleasant, whilst not complex, not all whiskies need to be!

With the revisit, we found nibs candies, pineapple, and just very sweet.

Here’s what the folks at Penderyn have to say about this expression:

The 8th in our ‘Icons of Wales’ series was launched in December 2021 and commemorates the wonderful Welsh word, ‘Hiraeth’. Difficult to translate into English, some say ‘yearning’ or ‘homesickness’, but the BBC’s Roy Noble summed it up very nicely as: “a longing for your homeland, your heritage and your very being”.

This whisky is an ex-Bourbon cask finish and is bottled at 46% abv, and is the first time Penderyn have released a core range single malt using mainly spirit from the pot stills, which we introduced in 2014.

TASTING NOTES

  • Nose: Elegant and floral with light oak notes, vanilla, raisins, toffee apples, citrus peel and a hint of lime.
  • Taste: A delicate smooth single malt with honeyed fruits, vanilla, cinnamon spice and a hint of nutmeg.
  • Finish: Soft honey and vanilla notes fade to a malty finish.

It was a good start to our evening of dragons!

Next up was a travel retail pair from Taiwan’s Kavalan. In the past, we’ve explored their cask strength single cask Solist line, however, this time we went for the more commercially accessible range.

Kavalan Grand Reserve No. 1 Amontillado Sherry 40%

  • Nose – Stewed plum, quite Christmasy, lots of booze soaked raisins, sherry-forward with some tannins too
  • Palate – Very woody – almost too much.
  • Finish – Very dry, wood varnish, bitter
  • Water – It may seem strange to add a few drops of water to a whisky that is already at the lowest permitted ABV of 40%. However, it was so heavy that we had to try! And it helped a bit – subdued the raisins, enabled some apricots to come forward

We don’t normally comment on colour – however, this was such a remarkable dark ruby that it was worth noting, as it matched the intensity of flavours.

What do the official tasting notes say?

Rich notes of apricot jam, dried berries,  and creamy caramel

I’d say yes to the dried berries, with water also the apricot jam, however, despite the sweetness, it wasn’t exactly creamy!

So what about the 2nd Grand Reserve?

Kavalan Grand Reserve No. 2 Madeira & Port 40%

  • Nose – Soaked alcohol prunes, green fruits like gooseberry, ground cherries, some sweet and some sour, sharp yet also honeyed, marzipaan, sugar-covered cherries, powdered sugar… that with water revealed some light maple syrup
  • Palate – Tart, cherry pits, woody, thin
  • Finish – Bitter, cigar
  • Water – It was missing something until we added water, then the Madeira and Port influences came forward

In many ways, it started out quite similar to the 1st Grand Reserve. However, with water, it was sweeter and more approachable.

Here are the official tasting notes:

Rich notes of maple syrup, toasted walnut, and woody undertones

For the most part, we would agree with the tasting notes.

And there you have it, another evening of enjoyment exploring whiskies with friends!

Curious about other experiences? Just check out these whiskies we’ve tasted from Penderyn and Kavalan.

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Kavalan Solist Trio of Sherry, Vinho Barrique, Port

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Kavalan from Taiwan has enjoyed immense popularity, particularly for its singular Solist line of cask-strength single cask single malts with different finishes. Some years ago, our Mumbai-based whisky clubs had a bit of a love affair with Kavalan. From a notable evening dedicated to trio of Kavalan Solist Brandy, Port and Sherry to a terrific zip through nearly their full collection in Singapore at Whisky Live in 2017!

The Bombay Malt and Cigar lads decided to crack open three in May 2024. Ideally, I would have brought my Kavalan Solist Bourbon to join the Sherry, Vinho Barrique and Port! However, alas this was yet another Mumbai tasting that I missed. Kindly, our host set aside some generous samples which I had the pleasure of sharing a year later with our Nürberg Whisky Explorers group – what fun!

Kavalan Solist Sherry

  • Nose – Oh my! Rich coffee liqueur, sherry, intense and dense
  • Palate – Flavour packed! Sweet, very dense, a real sherry bomb with tobacco, a nutty chocolate, bursting with sweet spices, wood was also prominent, and above all rich, chewy, strong coffee
  • Finish – A very long finish with black licorice
  • Water – Helps make it plumper, juicy fruits on the nose with dried figs and dates on the palate

This was a classic Kavalan Solist – highly compacted and complex. It is sweet without being overly so. Intense and interesting yet not overwhelming. A rich, beautiful dram bursting with character.

Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique Cask No W160331032A 57.1% (201 bottles)

  • Nose – What a contrast from the sherry! There was a delightful, sweet mahogany wood on the nose, warming into a creamy, buttery chocolate chased by sweet jasmine
  • Palate – Fruity, juicy, smooth chocolate, really quite voluptuous! Oily, tobacco joins the fruit
  • Finish – Long and luscious

Curiously, we were not in the least interested in adding water – it was perfect just as is! Perhaps we should have started with this one – it is almost too polite after the robust sherry.

Kavalan Solist Port

  • Nose – Sharp and makes you work! Tobacco, molasses, sugary chocolate-covered coffee beans, then fresh wood… as it opened, it was joined by fruit
  • Palate – Strong, very dry, furry on the tongue, chocolate raisins
  • Finish – A long finish
  • Revisit – We came back to this expression after some time and found a rather delicious sweet caramelized onion, almost like bacon jam – yum!

In some ways, this was the “smoothest” of the trio. It became sweeter the more time it spent in the glass. From memory, the last Kavalan Solist Port I tried clearly had a fortified sweet wine element, whereas this was not so distinctly Port per se.

For me the highlight was sharing these intense, highly concentrated cask strength expressions with a new audience in Germany. None other than I had tried Kavalan before with this trio a terrific introduction for seasoned whisky aficionados.

A pity we didn’t have the exact cask numbers and alcohol strength for the Sherry and Port, however, they were likely purchased around 2021 – 2022. Whereas the Vinho Barrique was bought in June 2022 for Eur 125 in Germany, then traveled back to the UK and on to India.

Other Kavalans tasted over the years….

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Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique 57.1%

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Behind the remarkable rise of Kavalan was Ian Chang – known for his kindness, exacting attention, and incredible nose. After 15 years of bringing awards and recognition to Kavalan, Ian moved on in 2020. Rumour had it that there were pressures to more aggressively capitalize on their success, speeding things up in a way that may compromise quality. Be that as it may, Ian Chang has moved on to Japan to Komoro Distillery, part of Karuizawa Distillers.

Bottom line, this particular expression from Kavalan is part of their heydey period, shortly after the Vinho Barrique expression won awards for its intense aromas and flavours. This particular expression was a well-traveled whisky – from Taiwan to Germany to UK… opened in October 2023 in London. Then a small sample made its way back to Germany, then further on to India where I settled down to consider it one fine evening at the close of 2023.

Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique (2016) W160331032A 57.1% Bottle 048 of 201

  • Colour – What a stunning deep ruby
  • Nose – Oh my! What a luscious aroma, mahogany wood, dusty black pepper, overripe melon, tart cherries and chocolate, stewed plums
  • Palate – Equally powerful on the palate! Like chewing on cherry wood, dates, nutty caramel, sweet spices, intense
  • Finish – Dry, with plenty of red wine tannins, something a tinge soapy
  • Water – Opens up with the nose shifting from intense dry fruits to juicy plums, ripe figs, caramelized walnuts and then on the palate, shifts to ripe kiwis, berries and red grapes

Talk about intense! Big and bold. No mistaking this is one full-bodied voluptuous whisky with a lot going on. Heavy, commanding attention. Even after the glass was empty, the aromas swirled around. Berries and vanilla and wood. Quite something!

What do the folks at Kavalan have to say about this expression?

Vinho is fully matured in used American oak wine barrels that have been toasted and recharred in a way that brings out fruity vanilla notes from the wood into the whisky overlaid on a delicate background of complex fruitiness.
It has a complex and multi-dimensional background of pepper, spice, dates and other fruits, such as ripe melon and mango together with kiwi and a delicate blend of bursting citrus fruits.

As for the official tasting notes, here you go:

  • Nose – A rich fusion of vanilla and caramelized sugars with dark chocolate on top. Ripe melon and mango together with kiwi and a delicate blend of citrus fruits burst. Pepper is also present in the background waiting to be noticed.
  • Palate – The taste ends with clean and complex flavours embodying all that is best in the finest malt whiskies enjoying a long aftertaste.
  • Tasting – We suggest drinking Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique Single Cask neat.

Would I agree? Yes…though personally, I preferred it with a bit of water.

Curious about other Kavalan experiences? There have been more than a few over the years – mostly from the period of 2008 – 2016 when I tended to come across Kavalan more readily via whisky shows or complements of Malt Maniac Krishna Nakula:

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One Fine London Evening over Balvenie, Braon Peat and Kavalan

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As 2023 drew to a close, I had some time off and made the most of it by catching up with tasting notes. In the case of this trio, they were opened one special evening in London. At the time, I didn’t take any notes, just enjoyed the experience. However, as our host knows me well, we packed up three minis for later perusal. Somehow I wasn’t inclined to revisit the samples in Germany, so brought them with me to India.

Here is the trio we decided to open the evening following The Whisky Show in London.

Sukhinder chided us for going only one day to The Whisky Show, so for 2024, we resolved to go for both days. And yes, we already bought our tickets – this time it is earlier in September so the 9-month countdown has begun!

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Vita Dulcis 16 – Taiwan’s Kavalan Concertmaster Port Finish 40%

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Last from Asia in my  2020 Advent Calendar was a repeat (for me) from Kavalan with their Concertmaster Port Finish.

What did I find this time around?

Taiwan – Kavalan Concertmaster Port Finish 40%

  • Nose – Sugar plums, dark dried fruits and berries, caramelized
  • Palate – At first I found it quite light, then the flavours grew, taking on a a delightful spice with chewy prunes with a fullness one rarely finds at 40%
  • Finish – Mmmm… the port really comes through on the finish

I’ve had a whole range of experiences with Kavalan in the past – including this expression. I still remember being disappointed with the bottle I brought back from Taiwan nearly 9 years ago! And yet now, particularly after the Suntory “Toki” and Hatozaki Blend, I found myself really enjoying it.

What does Kavalan have to say about Concertmaster, now that it is back on their website?

Using Portuguese ruby Port wine casks as the main flavour, Kavalan Concertmaster Port Cask Finish single malt whisky is first matured in specially selected American oak casks and then finished in port barriques. The ageing in barriques mellows the flavours and adds indefinable smoothness to the whisky. It is rich bodied with natural sweetness and complexity.

  • Colour: Brownish red
  • Flavour: Tropical fruitiness with honey, vanilla, coconut and candy floss.
  • Palate: Rich bodied with natural sweetness and complexity.
  • Tasting pairing: Kavalan Concertmaster Port Cask Finish pairs indulgently with chocolate, making it even more delicious.

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BMC “shabby chic” evening

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Date juggling with the Bombay Malt & Cigar gentlemen can be a challenge as we all travel extensively and, let’s face it, have busy lives!

So when one member could not join our originally scheduled August date, we decided to shift from a planned tasting of curated closed bottles to pulling out something open from our whisky cabinets to share.

As they didn’t earlier have the pleasure of trying Shelter Point – yet heard so much from all my past experiences – I decided it was time they experience – even if oxidized dregs!

And yes – the plan was to bring just one but when there was so little left, how could I resist bringing all four?

While there were other bottles on offer, here is what I recall:

As for the cigars, it was a revisit of Gurka Seduction, also from an earlier session.

I must confess I took narry a photo nor tasting note that evening – what I’ve shared here are mere recollections of impressions rather than specifics.

This was an evening where we simply came together, sipped our drams, planned our upcoming sessions and September Scottish whisky tour with the whiskies taking a supporting role rather than featured cast.

Which sometimes is exactly what you ask of a good dram – to be the best possible accompaniment to a rather enjoyable time with friends.

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Asian Delights – Kavalan Classic 40%

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The Whisky Ladies of Mumbai began our exploration of Kavalan Taiwanese whiskies in 2016, where we sampled an open bottle of the Concertmaster Port Cask Finish 40%… we then cranked it up several notches with the Solist Sherry cask S1001200358 57.8%. It was so memorable with its concentrated robust flavours that we decided to track down another bottle (this time from cask S090102020 57.1%) and share it in our “Ladies Choice” evening with our Bombay Malt & Cigar gents.

Fast forward and we found ourselves in 2019 checking out the “Classic“… here is what we thought…

Kavalan Classic 40%

  • Nose – Spruce, pine, fresh balsa, sweet with a hint of nuts, very comforting on the nose, loads of fruit
  • Palate – Had some character, spice, nice and dry, tannic, after some time a sugar syrup
  • Finish – Finally a proper finish!

Sweet on the nose, spice on the palate… a good entry level to the brand, bottled in 2016. It was opened a few months earlier and you can see from the photo that after our tasting, there wasn’t much left! However we certainly felt we had a good enough impression of a lively tasty dram.

Talk turned to how nice it is to find value for money… This particular bottle was purchased in Germany, however can also be found at The Whisky Exchange for  £54.45.

For those curious to check out more Kavalan’s tasted over the years, pop over to the Asian whiskies page.

Here’s a few more whiskies we enjoyed in our Asian Delights:

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When Kavalan Solist Sherry Cask didn’t quite hit the mark

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Next up in our “revisit” evening was a cask strength single cask whisky from Kavalan, part of their Solist line.

We sampled completely blind, revealing only after much debate and speculation.

Kavalan Solist Sherry Cask S090608029A Bottle No 269 of 485 58.6% (Bottled 2017.10.02)

  • Colour – The colour was remarkable – so dark it was more like coffee with a rich ruby hue than whisky!
  • Nose – Pure sherry, coffee, lots of rummy, plummy notes, complex, chocolate, dark fruits, weighty, kept thinking of chocolate covered raisins, sweet spices, caramel toffee
  • Palate – Unexpected. Packs a punch – and not in an entirely good way. Sulfur, rubber – as in burnt rubber tyres, dry bitter, tannic, lentil, neem
  • Finish – Spice sherry
  • Water – Completely changes – much more coherent, the bitterness a bit tamed, the red fruits came out even more

To be honest, we really struggled with this one. It had elements of a few different familiar whiskies but not when put together. And it just didn’t work somehow either. The nose was so incredibly promising but the palate…. frankly seemed “forced”. The colour also had us puzzled – it was so dark to provoke speculation that something was decidedly different.

With the reveal there was surprise! Particularly as we’d just sampled a Kavalan Solist Sherry mere months earlier.

Generally we’ve all had very positive experiences with Kavalan Solist – with the Sherry being their signature rich, complex, robust whisky. However this one simply didn’t hit the mark for us.

This was by no means our only brush with this particular whisky… however that’s the thing about Kavalan Solist Sherry, each cask is unique.

What do the Kavalan folks have to say?

  • Colour – Dark and mouth-watering raisin
  • Nose – Clean and complex with multi-layers of dried fruit, nuttiness and spices with some marzipan and vanilla touches to it as well
  • Palate – Rich, oily and full with pleasant dried fruit and spices that linger on in the mouth plus a hint of fine coffee

Here are a few others sampled over the last year or so….

Here is what else we tried in our “revisit” evening:

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Revisiting Johnnie Walker’s Green Label, Kavalan Solist Sherry, Kilchoman

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One of the things I really appreciate about our original Mumbai tasting club is that our default is to sample blind. What the means is even something we thought we knew, we have an opportunity to rediscover.

Which was exactly our hosts theme – to revisit whiskies we all know – or at least we thought we did!

Here is what we tried:

With a bonus of Amrut’s Fever Club Con-Fusion Batch No 1, 46%… what fun!

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Kavalan Solist Cask Trio – Sherry

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After the Kavalan Solist Brandy and Port casks, we finished our trio with the familiar Sherry cask.

Except this is the thing about all Kavalan Solist whiskies, each is a unique cask which means there is also something to discover about the elements specific to that particular cask – be it from 2008, 2009 and even two from (2010 + 2010).

So which one did we try? A cask from June 2009….

Kavalan Solist Sherry Cask S0906080388 Bottle 098/522 57.8%

Nikkhil’s tasting notes

  • Color: Dark Varnish
  • Nose: Now that’s what you call a Sherry monster! A blast of prunes, orange oil, espresso, chocolate. Whiff of pencil shavings, tobacco, leather, old furniture. Stunning!
  • Palate: Thick like treacle. Gorgeous mouthfeel, if only silk was edible! Follows the nose note to note. It was Christmas all over again. Drams like these should not be dissected. They are simply too complex for words. Hence I’m going to stop. Just sit back and enjoy this masterpiece.
  • With Water: All the gorgeousness gets amplified.
  • Finish: Long and warming. Like a conversation with an old friend.

Photo: Keshav Prakash

And now… to shift from what the tasting group had to say to the separate sampling session…

Carissa’s tasting notes:

  • Nose – More restrained than the 2nd dram, yet clearly has a solid sherry quality, dry, tight fruits
  • Palate – Rich, velvety quality, coffee, chocolate, complex, almost evaporates in the mouth, gorgeous and completely delicious, silky smooth and refined
  • Finish – Not just long, simply remarkable

The colour alone gives it away – deep dark maple syrup. Had all the hallmarks of a mature whisky – the way a sherry cask matured dram should be. “We are not worthy.” Exceptional.

Photo: Keshav Prakash

And the reveal?? Kavalan Sherry… not old at all, just the beneficiary of an accelerated maturation in the warm climate of Taiwan.

The folks at Kavalan have this to say about their Sherry Cask:

Matured in Spanish top quality oloroso sherry casks in special editions, Kavalan Solist Sherry is bottled at the distillery, without any colouring or chill-filtration. It is a naturally smooth and rich whisky with a complex character. It is clean and complex with multi-layers of dried fruit, nuttiness and spices with some marzipan and vanilla touches to it as well.

  • Color – Dark and mouth-watering raisin
  • Nose – Clean and complex with multi-layers of dried fruit, nuttiness and spices with some marzipan and vanilla touches to it as well.
  • Palate – Rich, oily and full with pleasant dried fruit and spices that linger on in the mouth plus a hint of fine coffee.
  • Tasting – We suggest drinking Kavalan Solist Oloroso Sherry Cask neat.

Our Kavalan Cask Trio covered:

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