Whisky review : Kavalan Solist Sherry Cask - Cask Strength, bottled @ 57%

Whisky review : Kavalan Solist Sherry Cask - Cask Strength, bottled @ 57%

-3rd Kavalan
-Natural colour

Colour: Very dark-red copperish, medium port red, medium bodied, long legs.

Mouth: very hot tannin, brandy style raisin, wood polish, metallic notes, very intense cloud of light Sherry, old grapes, touches of youg VSOP Cognac, leather, exotic dried fruits, fresh vanilla sticks, very complex nose yet not a regular Sherried nose.

Mouth: Light regardless of the 57%, dense fruits, cognac tannin, chemical marker, hot thick macerated grapes, light sherry spices. Water emphasises light grapes, very juicy, much interesting after tasting the previous 2. I can say this whisky can rather take a large a mount of water without drowning. After more water, it remains thick but more on tannin and grapes, hints of wood.

Finish: light Sherry, spices, creamy, touches of coconut, sticky Sherry, peach

A- for the taste. A very nice Whisky indeed. Different style of Sherry than we are used to.
C for the price. Priced at 117$, it's way too high. A good price would be more around a 65ish dollars would be more like it.
A- for presentation. I like the nice tubing. So so for the bottle but the packaging...simple and nice.

Whisky review : Jade Supremacy Taiwan Blended Whisky, bottled @ 40%

Whisky review : Jade Supremacy Taiwan Blended Whisky, bottled @ 40%

-Made by TTL
-Double distilled
-Blended from Taiwanese and Scottish Whiskies

Colour: apple juice gold, medium bodied. Not sure there is caramel added here as the colour is fairly light.

Nose: lots of exotic fruits, smooth creaminess, juicy apples, delicate Mango, lots of fresh fruits, delicate sweet fresh aroma to it. Very nice fresh fruity nose. So, the second, if not first, best nose of the Taiwanese whiskies.(Update : a few weeks of oxidization, more coffee notes are showing up, vanilla, cake, very sweet angel cake, caramel candy as well, much more on the creamy side 28-07)

Mouth: Smooth, lots of fruits, sweet, vanilla, chilli, chilli Mango style, soft pepper burns, more fruits, comes out a bit harsh on the sides yet very nice. A dash of water makes this young malt more fruity, creamy, chewy chill-dipped fruits. (Update: on first sip a very surprising coffee liquor flavour...very nice !)

Finish: Lingering light fruits, Mango, apples, creamy vanilla, soft cake.

A for the price. Purchased for 240RMB at a wine fair (40$). A nice pricing for a young whisky. Not easy to find, yet I would recommend it.
B- for the presentation. The old-decanter-style bottles are out. They should really review their packaging to appeal to a larger audience.
B++ for the taste. The fresh fruits taste and aromas are making this whisky into an easy ''moorish'' spirit.

Whisky review : New arrivals The Kavalan set.

Whisky review : Kavalan set

From left to right

-Kavalan ''Concertmaster''
-Kavalan Single Malt
-Kavalan Solist Ex-Bourbon Cask
-Kavalan Solist Sherry Cask

If I had to choose only one : Solist Ex-bourbon Cask. A real hidden Gem !

Whisky review : Kavalan Single Malt bottled @ 40%

Whisky review : Kavalan Single Malt bottled @ 40%

-2nd kavalan
-A bit more interesting than the Concertmaster

Colour: Light Gold, medium bodied. Much lighter than the Concertmaster, look very natural.

Nose: very sweet, hot, solar screen creaminess, exotic light yellow flower, hints of Mango, juicy Mango, creamy fruit, waxy sweetness. Very interesting exotic nose.

Mouth: Light creamy sweet notes, oily, touches if citrus, oranges, very light mouth despite the nose, a bit robust, turning to spirit. Water opens the malt to a more juicy fruits, still very light and distant touches of banana. Nice yet not very evolved, fades rapidly. 

Finish: Mango, floral, more Mango....very nice leftover taste.

B+ for the taste. Better than the Concertmaster for sure. Despite the interesting finish, it remains robust all the way. Lots of potential yet it's bottled a very young age.
A- for the price. Stands at 350RMB (59$) hence it's not too bad. Yet I am not I would purchase a whole bottle of this. A taste yes, a bottle....meh.
A+ for presentation.

Whisky review : Kavalan Single Malt ‘Concertmaster’ Port Cask Finish bottled @ 40

Whisky review : Kavalan Single Malt ‘Concertmaster’ Port Cask Finish bottled @ 40%

-1st Kavalan

-Promising Cask finish?

-Very nice bottling

Colour: Copper-gold, oily, thick.

Nose : light port, creamy, exotic fruits, white honey, hints of coconut – similar yet less than the Alberta Premium – a tad spirity for 40%, might I say ‘Robust’ ?

Mouth : a bit off, sweet, chili, wood notes, not very complex, the ‘port’ barely comes through or maybe as ‘sherry spices’. Water opens to more port sweetness, exotic yellow fruits. Interesting yet not very mature.

Finish : light oak, eucalyptus, sweet notes, touches of port, tobacco leaves, hints of Mango.

B for the taste. Interesting exotic fruits touches, however, a bit too robust and young. Worth a try but not a buy.

A for the price. At 278RMB (47$), definitely not an expensive bottling.

A+ for the presentation. Very nice box and bottle, very different from the usual Malts.

Whisky review : Abroad Whisky collection

Whisky review : Abroad Whisky collection

From left to right :

Bowmore 15 years old Mariner
Ardbeg 10 years old
Glenfiddich 18 years old Small Batch
Dalmore 12 years old
Aberlour A'bunadh Single Sherry Cask
White Horse Blended
Nikka Pure Malt Blended
Yamazaki 12 years old
Suntory Old Whisky Blended

Whisky review : Aberlour A’bunah, batch 41 bottled @ 59%

Whisky review : Aberlour A’bunah, batch 41 bottled @ 59%
 

-Single sherry cask

-Non chill-filtered

-High strength

-Nice waxed cork

-Clean packaging

Colour : light-medium brown, copperish-gold. Definitely sherry influenced.

Nose: High Sherry, sweet spices, vanilla, touches of toffee, creamy. Very interesting nose indeed. Water opens this malt to hot-toffeed sherry spices. The creaminess comes through very nicely.

Mouth: thick, creamy-intense, light at first then …. Explosion of sherry spices, discreet smoke…still the 59% make the explosion a bit too complex: this one needs water. Water: much creamier, light fruits, spices, vanilla, eucalyptus, toffee, salt, long spices, touches of wood and lead, like pencil. Very nice malt indeed. However, the punch resides in the palate, the first incoming.

Finish: long spices, light toffee, eucalyptus.

B++ for the taste. I know it might sound harsh, however, the punch is in the first delivery and the most interesting part, the creamy-light smoke-vanilla, fades away too quickly.

A+ for the presentation. Clean packaging, nice bottling, and nice waxed corked.

A+ for the price considering I got it at the duty Free (60$). Considering it’s 94, 95$ (LCBO) and at 94$ (SAQ)….it has to be lowered down to B-.

Whisky review : Aberlour A’bunah, batch 41 bottled @ 59%

-Single sherry cask

-Non chill-filtered

-High strength

-Nice waxed cork

-Clean packaging

Colour : light-medium brown, copperish-gold. Definitely sherry influenced.

Nose: High Sherry, sweet spices, vanilla, touches of toffee, creamy. Very interesting nose indeed. Water opens this malt to hot-toffeed sherry spices. The creaminess comes through very nicely.

Mouth: thick, creamy-intense, light at first then …. Explosion of sherry spices, discreet smoke…still the 59% make the explosion a bit too complex: this one needs water. Water: much creamier, light fruits, spices, vanilla, eucalyptus, toffee, salt, long spices, touches of wood and lead, like pencil. Very nice malt indeed. However, the punch resides in the palate, the first incoming.

Finish: long spices, light toffee, eucalyptus.

B++ for the taste. I know it might sound harsh, however, the punch is in the first delivery and the most interesting part, the creamy-light smoke-vanilla, fades away too quickly.

A+ for the presentation. Clean packaging, nice bottling, and nice waxed corked.

A+ for the price considering I got it at the duty Free (60$). Considering it’s 94, 95$ (LCBO) and at 94$ (SAQ)….it has to be lowered down to B-.

Whisky review : Bowmore 15 years old ''Mariner'' 1L format bottled @ 43%

Whisky review :　Bowmore 15 years old ''Mariner'' 1L format bottled @ 43%

-Yet another great bowmore.
-Good price at Duty Free

Colour: Dark brown, caramel looking here.....since only oak is involved, I believe this is ''caramel'' added yet again. Sad for such a great whisky.

Nose: light sweet smoke, soft caramel, light iodine, ashes, apples, sea breeze (seaweed, salt water), very light and ''tender'' in the glass. The light caramel and light ashy smoke are very pungent here...very nice.

Mouth: peat smoke, caramel, spices, chili, eucalyptus, very nice balance of peat, smoke, ashes and caramel. However some harsher notes are coming through as if it was a 50% ABV spirit, yet it's bottled at 43%. Salt water, seaweed. It has the consistency of much higher ABV whisky without water for sure....which for a 43%  is very special. Water tones it down and put emphasis on light peat, ashes and toffee.

Finish: lingering sticky peat, light peat, caramel-apply notes, white ashes, cold white ashes...Another superb Bowmore with long long finish.

B+ for the taste. Close to the Dun Bheagan in character but surpasses it in terms of balance. Great whisky.
B for presentation. Weird green colour and sad bottling
A for the price. I paid 65$ at Incheon International Airport for it, hence the mark. However when looking at the price for the 15 years old (Laimrig or Darkest), it's around 90-100$....which would make it a ''fail''.