Full Review

Kavalan

Kavalan
Concertmaster Sherry Cask Finish Single Malt Whisky

Category: Taiwanese Whisky

Date Tasted:
Country: Taiwan
Alcohol: 40%
93 Points
Gold Medal
Exceptional
$99

Kavalan
Concertmaster Sherry Cask Finish Single Malt Whisky

Category: Taiwanese Whisky

Date Tasted:
Country: Taiwan
Alcohol: 40%
Golden amber color. Aromas and flavors of medjool dates, fig jam on marcona almonds, maduro tobacco, dark chocolate covered espresso bean, and leather and baking spice with a round, vibrant, bone-dry medium body and a tingling, interesting, medium-long finish with nuances of over ripe blackberry, cinnamon and vanilla nougat, berry pipe tobacco, and caramelized bread crust and citrus. Dried red fruits, nuts, and baking spices abound in this complex and wood spice forward dram that seems almost custom tailored for cigar pairings.

Tasting Info

Spirits Glass Style: Spicy & Complex
Aroma Aroma: medjool dates, fig jam on marcona almonds, maduro tobacco, dark chocolate covered espresso bean, and leather and baking spice
Taste Flavor: Same as aromas with nuances of over ripe blackberry, cinnamon and vanilla nougat, berry pipe tobacco, and caramelized bread crust and citrus
Smoothness Smoothness: Tingling
Finish Finish: Long
Enjoy Enjoy: with drops of water, with cigars, on the rocks and neat
Bottom Line Bottom Line: Dried red fruits, nuts, and baking spices abound in this complex and wood spice forward dram that seems almost custom tailored for cigar pairings.

The Producer

Kavalan Distillery

The Producer
326, Section 2, Yuan-shan Road
Yuan-Shan, Yilan 26444
Taiwan
886 -39229000

Their Portfolio

88 Kavalan Classic Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $92.99.
93 Kavalan Concertmaster Port Cask Finish Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $99.99.
93 Kavalan Concertmaster Sherry Cask Finish Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $99.99.
90 Kavalan Distillery Select No.1 Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $59.99.
95 Kavalan Distillery Select No. 2 Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $59.99.
93 Kavalan Triple Sherry Cask Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $119.99.
94 Kavalan Podium Single Malt Whisky 46% (Taiwan) $128.99.
97 Kavalan Solist Ex-Bourbon Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 57.1% (Taiwan) $159.99.
90 Kavalan Solist Oloroso Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 59.4% (Taiwan) $224.99.
95 Kavalan Solist Fino Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 57.1% (Taiwan) $469.99.
96 Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 55.6% (Taiwan) $257.99.
96 Kavalan Distillery Reserve Peated Malt Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 54% (Taiwan) $89.99.
95 Kavalan Distillery Reserve Rum Cask Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 55.6% (Taiwan) $89.99.
89 Kavalan Solist Madeira Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 57.1% (Taiwan) $299.99.
92 Kavalan Solist Brandy Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 57.8% (Taiwan) $299.99.
89 Kavalan Solist Port Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 56.3% (Taiwan) $299.99.
95 Kavalan Solist Amontillado Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 55.6% (Taiwan) $599.99.
95 Kavalan Solist Manzanilla Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 58.6% (Taiwan) $599.99.
92 Kavalan Solist PX Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 57.1% (Taiwan) $699.99.
96 Kavalan Solist Moscatel Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 57.1% (Taiwan) $599.99.
91 Kavalan Classic Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $92.00.
90 Kavalan Concertmaster Port Cask Finish Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $99.00.
93 Kavalan Concertmaster Sherry Cask Finish Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $99.00.
92 Kavalan Concertmaster Vinho Barrique Finish Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $99.00.
91 Kavalan Distillery Select No.1 Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $59.00.
93 Kavalan Distillery Select No. 2 Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $59.00.
93 Kavalan Triple Sherry Cask Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $119.00.
92 Kavalan Podium Single Malt Whisky 46% (Taiwan) $102.00.
94 Kavalan Solist Ex-Bourbon Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 54.8% (Taiwan) $195.00.
95 Kavalan Solist Oloroso Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 53.2% (Taiwan) $214.00.
93 Kavalan Solist Fino Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 57.1% (Taiwan) $469.00.
92 Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 54.8% (Taiwan) $214.00.
92 Kavalan Distillery Reserve Peated Malt Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 51.6% (Taiwan) $89.00.
94 Kavalan Distillery Reserve Madeira Cask Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 57.8% (Taiwan) $89.00.
96 Kavalan Solist Brandy Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 57.1% (Taiwan) $214.00.
93 Kavalan Solist Port Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 57.1% (Taiwan) $214.00.
95 Kavalan Solist Amontillado Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 57.1% (Taiwan) $599.00.
95 Kavalan Solist Manzanilla Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 57.8% (Taiwan) $599.00.
94 Kavalan Solist PX Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 55.6% (Taiwan) $699.00.
95 Kavalan Solist Moscatel Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 53.2% (Taiwan) $599.00.
92 Kavalan Classic Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $92.00.
90 Kavalan Concertmaster Port Cask Finish Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $99.00.
92 Kavalan Concertmaster Sherry Cask Finish Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $99.00.
91 Kavalan Concertmaster Vinho Barrique Finish Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $99.00.
90 Kavalan Distillery Select No.1 Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $59.00.
94 Kavalan Distillery Select No.2 Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $59.00.
93 Kavalan Triple Sherry Cask Single Malt Whisky 43% (Taiwan) $99.00.
90 Kavalan Wine Oak Single Malt Whisky 43% (Taiwan) $102.00.
90 Kavalan Port Oak Single Malt Whisky 43% (Taiwan) $102.00.
92 Kavalan Podium Single Malt Whisky 46% (Taiwan) $102.00.
91 Kavalan Master’s Select Reserve No.1 Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $112.00.
90 Kavalan Master’s Select Reserve No.2 Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $112.00.
93 Kavalan Solist Ex-Bourbon Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 54% (Taiwan) $195.00.
95 Kavalan Solist Oloroso Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 57.1% (Taiwan) $214.00.
97 Kavalan Solist Fino Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 57.8% (Taiwan) $469.00.
94 Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 58.6% (Taiwan) $214.00.
93 Kavalan Distillery Reserve Peated Malt Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 50.8% (Taiwan) $89.00.
95 Kavalan Distillery Reserve Madeira Cask Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 58.6% (Taiwan) $89.00.
95 Kavalan Solist Brandy Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 57.1% (Taiwan) $214.00.
93 Kavalan Solist Port Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 59.4% (Taiwan) $214.00.
96 Kavalan Solist Amontillado Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 56.3% (Taiwan) $599.00.
96 Kavalan Solist Manzanilla Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 57.8% (Taiwan) $599.00.
95 Kavalan Solist PX Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 55.6% (Taiwan) $699.00.
94 Kavalan Solist Moscatel Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 53.2% (Taiwan) $599.00.
88 King Car Conductor Single Malt Whisky 46% (Taiwan) $128.99.
95 King Car Conductor Single Malt Whisky 46% (Taiwan) $102.00.
92 King Car Conductor Single Malt Whisky 46% (Taiwan) $102.00.

Taiwanese Whisky

Spirits Glass Glencairn Canadian Amber.jpg
Serve in a Glencairn Ganadian Whisky Glass
Remarkably constructed in only 9 months in 2015, the Kavalan distillery is Taiwan's first whisky distillery. Despite their relative youth, the malt whiskies made at Kavalan are amazingly flavorful, complex, world-class spirits—modeled after Scottish single malts—that are a product of ingenuity, Scottish tradition and ingredients, and the unique tropical Taiwanese climate that accelerates the aging process.