Full Review

Buy It Now

Kavalan
Gin

Category: Gin

Date Tasted: 3/16/2021

Country: Taiwan

Alcohol: 40%

Buy It Now

89 Points

Silver Medal

Highly Recommended

$34.99

Kavalan
Gin

Category: Gin

Date Tasted: 3/16/2021

Country: Taiwan

Alcohol: 40%

Clear color. Interesting, medicinal, herbal aromas of BBQ rub, smoked paprika, peach-mango chutney, and piney herb with a silky, dry-yet-fruity medium body and a tingling, stimulating, long candied lilacs, floral honey on cheese cracker, Meyer lemon and pomelo marmalades, and jasmine tea finish. An intriguing ride of savory, floral, and sweet aromas and flavors keeps this rather unique Gin top-of-mind for sipping or creative cocktail play.

Tasting Info

	Style:	Complex, Fruity, Herbal & Spicy
	Aroma:	bbq rub, smoked paprika, peach-mango chutney, and piney herb
	Flavor:	candied lilacs, floral honey on cheese cracker, meyer lemon and pomelo marmalades, and jasmine tea
	Smoothness:	Tingling
	Enjoy:	Enjoy in cocktails
	Cocktails:	Gin Martini, Gimlet, French 75
	Bottom Line:	An intriguing ride of savory, floral, and sweet aromas and flavors keeps this rather unique gin top-of-mind for sipping or creative cocktail play.

The Producer

Kavalan Distillery

326, Section 2, Yuan-shan Road

Yuan-Shan, Yilan 26444

Taiwan

886 -39229000

www.kavalanwhisky.com

Their Portfolio

BR •	Kavalan Sweet Coffee Liqueur 19% (Taiwan) $38.00. - Bronze Medal
85 •	Kavalan Sweet Cream Liqueur 17% (Taiwan) $47.00.
89 •	Kavalan Gin 40% (Taiwan) $34.99.
94 •	Kavalan Ex-Bourbon Oak Single Malt Whisky 46% (Taiwan) $128.99.
93 •	Kavalan Oloroso Sherry Oak Single Malt Whisky 46% (Taiwan) $153.99.
96 •	Kavalan Solist Manzanilla Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 57.8% (Taiwan) $599.99.
93 •	Kavalan Solist PX Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 58.6% (Taiwan) $699.99.
94 •	Kavalan Earth Silver Wine Cask Matured Single Cask Single Malt Whisky 57.8% (Taiwan) $119.99.
95 •	Kavalan Sky Gold Wine Cask Matured Single Cask Single Malt Whisky 57.8% (Taiwan) $119.99.
87 •	Kavalan Artist Series: Paul Chiang Puncheon Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 57.1% (Taiwan) $159.99.
87 •	Kavalan Artist Series: Paul Chiang Virgin Oak Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 52.4% (Taiwan) $159.99.
98 •	Kavalan Artist Series: Paul Chiang French Wine Cask Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 62.6% (Taiwan) $159.99.
92 •	Kavalan Artist Series: Paul Chiang Peated Malt Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 54% (Taiwan) $159.99.
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.
93 •	King Car Conductor Single Malt Whisky 46% (Taiwan) $128.99.
92 •	King Car 40th Anniversary Selected Wine Cask Matured Single Malt Whisky 56.3% (Taiwan) $139.99.
88 •	King Car Conductor Single Malt Whisky 46% (Taiwan) $128.99.
95 •	King Car Conductor Single Malt Whisky 46% (Taiwan) $102.00.

Gin

Serve in a Rocks Glass

About

Gin

Gin is the original flavored vodka, a clear spirit that is flavored with juniper berries and so-called botanicals (a varied assortment of herbs and spices). The spirit base of Gin is primarily grain (usually wheat or rye), which results in a light-bodied spirit.

The chief flavoring agent in gin is the highly aromatic blue-green berry of the juniper, a low-slung evergreen bush (genus Juniperus) that is commercially grown in northern Italy, Croatia, the United States and Canada. Additional botanicals can include anise, angelica root, cinnamon, orange peel, coriander, and cassia bark. All gin makers have their own secret combination of botanicals, the number of which can range from as few as four to as many as 15 or more.

Most gin is initially distilled in efficient column stills. The resulting spirit is high-proof, light-bodied, and clean with a minimal amount of congeners (flavor compounds) and flavoring agents. Gin's lowland cousin, Genever, is distilled in less-efficient potstills, which results in a lower-proof, more flavorful spirit. Low-quality 'Compound Gins' are made by simply mixing the base spirit with juniper and botanical extracts. Mass-market gins, known as 'Distilled Gins', are produced by soaking juniper berries and botanicals in the base spirit and then redistilling the mixture.

Many top-quality gins are flavored in a unique manner and are referred to as 'London Dry Gins'. After one or more distillations the base spirit is redistilled one last time. During this final distillation the alcohol vapor wafts through a chamber in which the dried juniper berries and botanicals are suspended. The vapor gently extracts aromatic and flavoring oils and compounds from the berries and spices as it travels through the chamber on its way to the condenser. The resulting flavored spirit has a noticeable degree of complexity.

The most famous examples of gin are from the UK. These are among the most complex gins with subdued flavors of pine, peppery spices, citrus, herbal roots, and even floral notes, which are currently in vogue. Gin has experienced a revival thanks to the craft cocktail movement as the base for the wildly popular gin martini, a host of newly resuscitated classic cocktails, and adventuresome new libations.