Review - Kavalan Peaty Cask

This peaty version from the Taiwanese distillery of Kavalan has been bottled especially for UK specialist retailer The Whisky Exchange. It was previously only available at the distillery but a few single casks were made available to whisky retailers around the world. With no natural peat in Taiwan, the flavour has been created by maturing in casks that have previously held smoky Islay single malts. Cask #029 for The Whisky Exchange has yielded just 104 bottles. Each has a natural cask strength of 52.4% ABV and costs £150. It is available to purchase here via the TWE website or at their London store in Covent Garden.

New releases > Kavalan Solist 'Vinho'

Kavalan is the first and only single malt whisky from the Asian island of Taiwan. It is produced by the King Car Corporation, which was set up in 1979 and is now Taiwan's biggest food and beverage manufacturer. The whisky distillery was built in 2005/06 and is one of the most technically advanced in the world. It is located in Yuanshan, which lies in the north of the island and is to the south of the major cities of Taipei and Keelung, close to the Pacific coast. It has copper stills that were constructed in Scotland and the distillery has an annual capacity of approximately six million bottles. The name of Kavalan is taken from a group of indigenous people who once lived in the Yi-Lan County where the distillery is located.

The Kavalan whiskies have been created, selected and blended by Ian Chang under the guidance of the legendary Dr. Jim Swan, who is a worldwide authority in the field of alcoholic beverages. Dr. Swan has consulted with distilleries, breweries and wineries around the world, including Penderyn in Wales. The first single malt was released at the end of 2008. This was joined in 2009 by one matured in ex-Port wine casks and two cask strength, single cask releases named Solist – one from ex-bourbon casks and one from sherry casks. The range is currently only sold in Taiwan and in a selection of cities in China, plus various airport locations in south east Asia. This Vinho is the third release in the Solist series and has been matured in ex-wine casks. Kavalan's whiskies are starting to win much acclaim and silverware around the world.

The bottling strength is a hefty 58.2% ABV and there are a very limited number of bottles. We were delighted to receive a sample of Vinho recently (our sample is at 59.1% ABV) from Ian Chang and have spoken with him about the bottling. He explains,

"The Vinho is fully matured in used American oak wine barrels that have been toasted and re-charred manually. The American oak that has been seasoned in the open air for at least 24 months. The oak is slow grown that results in a greater release of flavours into the whisky. This reduces the astringent effect of tannins and releases more vanilla spiciness and hints of herbs. The result is softness and added complexity. The casks have deliberately been used to mature both red and white wines and after their use for wine maturation the casks are carefully shaved inside then gently toasted over an oak chip fire for a strictly controlled period of time and temperature. This converts wine residues into a complex mixture of fruit flavours. Then the casks are charred for a short period of time to release lashings of flavours such as vanilla and caramelised sugars. The result is a more complex whisky than is possible than with whisky casks alone!"

Our tasting notes
The colour of this Vinho is a dark reddish, almost chestnut brown. The nose is rich and intense with a battle taking place between the sweet and spicy aromas. There is a complex mix of aromas here - sweeter ones include dark dried fruits (think of raisins, prunes and figs), vanilla, demerara sugar and orange marmalade. These are counteracted by spicy/dry notes of cinnamon, tamarind, oak, sandalwood and herbal bitters (imagine cassia bark). Prominent notes of burnt caramel and green apple add to the complexity with time.

Wow - on the palate, this kicks you with initial hot, spicy alcohol (remember it is 59% ABV!) but this passes to reveal a rich, sweet and almost syrupy feeling whisky in your mouth. First are the sweeter elements - heavy caramel, the orange marmalade again, dark chocolate, treacle/molasses and fruity wine gums. The flavour profile is unusual but very good, with further notes coming through to give great depth - spiced orange, malty cereals, coffee grounds and some bitter, spicy, woody oak, cinnamon and cloves. The alcoholic strength asks you to add water and with a few drops the spices soften and there is much less initial heat. The orange and caramel notes are exaggerated well. The finish is very long and intense, being led by burnt sugar and heavy cereal characteristics. Through comes some peppery spice but overall, the finish is warm and sweet.

What's the verdict?
This is a dark, intense and complex whisky that makes you realise just why Kavalan are starting to win some serious awards for their whiskies and for their innovative use of casks. It may be a little 'over the top' and too intense for some, but should be tried all the same. The Vinho is reminiscent of a Cognac or Armagnac and would be very good as a warming after dinner dram - it is very enjoyable on its own or with a dash of water, but would be an excellent accompaniment with a decent cigar.

A sneak preview ... Kavalan Peated

Kavalan is the first and only single malt whisky from the Asian island of Taiwan. It is produced by the King Car Corporation, which was set up in 1979 and is now Taiwan's biggest food and beverage manufacturer. The new distillery was built in just eight months in 2005/06 and is one of the most technically advanced in the world. It is located in Yuanshan, which lies in the north of the island and is to the south of the major cities of Taipei and Keelung, close to the Pacific coast. It has copper stills that were constructed in Scotland and the distillery has an annual capacity of approximately six million bottles.

The name of Kavalan is taken from a group of indigenous people who once lived in the Yi-Lan County where the distillery is located. The Kavalan whiskies have been created, selected and blended by Ian Chang under the guidance of the legendary Dr. Jim Swan, who is a worldwide authority in the field of alcoholic beverages. Dr. Swan has consulted with numerous distilleries, breweries and wineries around the world over many years, including Penderyn in Wales. The first single malt, which is matured in ex-bourbon casks, was released at the end of 2008. This was joined in 2009 by another matured in ex-Port wine casks and two cask strength, single cask releases – one from an ex-bourbon cask and one from a sherry cask. The range is currently only sold in Taiwan and in a small selection of cities in China, as well as various airport locations in south east Asia.

This peated version of Kavalan is yet to be released and we are lucky enough to have received this advanced sample from Kavalan’s Head Distiller Ian Chang. It is young at just over two years of age – Kavalan release their whiskies at this age because the whisky ages much faster and evaporates more quickly than elsewhere in the world, due to the high humidity and heat in Taiwan. This sample is drawn directly from the cask and is at 57.6% ABV. The story is that the whisky was accidentally filled to ex-bourbon casks that had previously held some peaty Scottish whisky and King Car are not sure if they will ever release it. We therefore thank Ian for this unique opportunity.

Our tasting notes
The colour of this Kavalan Peated is a light golden yellow and the nose is expressive, but not obviously peaty to start with. There is plenty of oak and vanilla notes and these are backed up by some distinct cereal grains, lots of sweet honey and an intense, hot prickle from the high alcohol level. The peat begins to come through with time in the glass and has a damp earthy quality, with a hint of dried grass. However, the peat smoke remains understated and It is very promising and makes you want to taste immediately. On the palate, this feels juicy,fresh and zingy (think of lemon zest) with plenty of vanilla and sweet, sugary honey. It is also intense with the high alcohol level accentuating each note to a higher level. The sweet elements are complimented by noticeable wood spices (imagine nutmeg and ginger). The peaty smoke is again understated, before bursting on to the palate once the whisky is swallowed. The smokiness then takes on a much higher level than suggested on the nose and remains earthy and grassy, although with a more bonfire ashy edge. The finish starts sweetly with oak and vanilla again prominent. Then the peat kicks in to make the finish very dry and ashy in the end, with your mouth watering and wanting more.

What's the verdict?
This is a lovely whisky and possibly our favourite Kavalan that we have tried to date - click here to view our other Kavalan reviews. That is saying something, as we have enjoyed all of the range so far. The reason for saying that it is our favourite is simple - the whisky is intense but has a great subtly and balance. The peaty smoke is obviously present but adds to the balance rather than being the dominating feature, as can be the case in young smoky whiskies.

So, should Kavalan release this whisky? - a definite YES! It may not be to the Taiwanese taste but if they put this in to the European or north American markets, then it would undoubtedly sell. This is especially true if you consider four factors. 1 - Kavalan is a unique product that has created much interest around the world, 2 - we are approaching winter in the northern hemisphere and peaty whiskies always sell better in colder weather, 3 - a number of traditional 'non peaty' distilleries, such as Balvenie and Glenmorangie, are branching out in to this market with their new 17 years old Peated Cask and Finealta expressions respectively, and 4 - it tastes really, really good!

Have just tried ... Kavalan Solist sherry cask

Taiwan's first whisky
Kavalan is a single malt whisky that is made by the King Car Corporation in Taiwan. King Car was set up in 1979 and is now Taiwan's biggest beverage and food manufacturers. This new distillery is one of the most technically advanced in the world and is located in Yuanshan, a town in the north of Taiwan. Yuanshan lies to the south of the major cities of Taipei and Keelung and close to the Pacific coast. It has copper stills that were constructed in Scotland giving the distillery an annual capacity of approximately six million bottles. Kavalan is Taiwan's first and only whisky to date.

Kavalan's range
King Car decided to name their whisky range Kavalan after a group of indigenous people who once lived in the Yi-Lan County where the distillery is located. The range of whisky is currently small and consists of two single malts (a bourbon cask version and a Port cask) and the Solist collection, which are bottled at cask strength and includes this sherry cask and one from a bourbon cask. The Kavalan whiskies have been created, selected and blended by the legendary Dr. Jim Swan - a worldwide authority in the field of alcoholic beverages. Dr. Swan has consulted with numerous distilleries, breweries and wineries around the world over many years, including Penderyn in Wales.

Details of the whisky
This Kavalan Solist Sherry Cask is bottled at 58.2% ABV and is currently only available in Taiwan, some major cities in China and limited locations in the south east Asian travel retail sector. A bottle will cost the equivalent of £65. The whisky is aged for three years , but whisky ages much faster in Taiwan's warm and humid climate. They have to bottle it at this age as they lose around 10% of the whisky's volume each year to the angel's share (the name given to the evaporation of the spirit while maturing in the cask). In comparison, this figure is around 2% a year in Scotland.

We would like to thank Ian Chang, the Head Distiller at Kavalan, for sending us this sample and for his support of Whisky For Everyone.

Our tasting notes
The colour of this Solist sherry cask is very dark and chestnut brown, almost mahogany, in colour. The nose has a clean freshness to it but is rich, intense and packed with aromas. There is a treacle/molasses-like sweetness present and this is joined by the further sweetness of lots of dark dried fruits (think of raisins, prunes, figs and dates). Behind the sweetness are hints of more bitter notes, including some herbs, eucalyptus or menthol, cocoa and roasted coffee beans. It is sumptuous and tempting, making you want to taste it. On the palate, this whisky is initially extremely fruity with plenty of those dark, juicy dried fruits present (especially the raisins and prunes). This characteristics turns a little more jammy or cooked as you hold it in your mouth (imagine plums and cherries). The syrupy sweetness of the treacle note hits the tip of the tongue and the whisky feels thick, coating the inside of the mouth. The darker, more bitter elements come through again (imagine menthol, cocoa powder and the coffee beans), as does a distinct hit of wood spice (think of allspice and nutmeg). The finish is long and toffee sweet before becoming very woody and spicy at the end (especially the nutmeg). Also, the strength of the high alcohol ABV is only really evident on the finish and gives a sharp, prickly heat.

What's the verdict?
This is fascinating stuff. The high ABV strength and the Taiwanese climate have accelerated and exaggerated the elements pulled from the sherry cask here. The cask was obviously of excellent quality, as there are none of the sulphuric notes that can sometimes appear in sherry cask matured whiskies and puts a few Scots to shame - the Kavalan remains clean throughout. It seems older than it is (although the alcohol strength gives it away on the finish) and is reminiscent of a brandy. One person tasting with us commented that it reminded him of an Italian digestif called Cynar, due to the distinct bitter menthol notes. It has to be said that there is so much sherry cask influence here that it could be difficult to identify it as a whisky, although this eases with the addition of water which allows some cereal notes to emerge. The Kavalan Solist sherry cask is a very nice dram indeed and one that becomes more user friendly with the more water that is added. This whisky maintains the high standards that we have tasted in other Kavalan releases.

Have just tried ... Kavalan Port Cask finish

A Taiwanese whisky?
Kavalan is a single malt whisky that is made by the King Car Corporation in Taiwan. King Car was set up in 1979 and is now Taiwan's biggest beverage and food manufacturers. This new distillery is one of the most technically advanced in the world and is located in Yuanshan, a town in the north of Taiwan. Yuanshan lies to the south of the major cities of Taipei and Keelung and close to the Pacific coast. It has copper stills that were constructed in Scotland and the distillery has an annual capacity of approximately six million bottles.

Beating the Scots
The profile of Kavalan Taiwanese whisky has risen dramatically following a recent blind tasting. This was held by famous British newspaper The Times and they put Kavalan single malt up against three Scottish blended whiskies and the new St. George's English whisky. To read the full article from thetimesonline, click here. They cheekily did this on Burns Night (Scotland's unofficial national day and one where whisky forms an important part of the celebrations) and invited esteemed people from the world of whisky to taste each one blind. We suspect that they were trying to get a 'controversial' non-Scottish winner as the outcome and they succeeded as Kavalan gained significantly more marks than the other entrants.

Why Kavalan?
King Car decided to name their whisky range Kavalan after a group of indigenous people who lived in the Yi-Lan County where the distillery is located. The range of whisky is currently small and consists of two single malts (including this Port cask) and the Solist collection, which currently has two single cask releases - one from a bourbon cask and one from a sherry cask. The Kavalan whisky has been created, selected and blended by the legendary Dr. Jim Swan, the Master Distiller at Penderyn distillery in Wales. He is a worldwide authority in the field of alcoholic beverages and has consulted with numerous distilleries, breweries and wineries over many years. We have written about the regular single malt and the bourbon cask Solist - click on the links to read.

More 'angle's share'
This Kavalan Port Cask is bottled at 40% ABV and is matured in ex-bourbon casks before being transferred to Port casks. It is currently only available in Taiwan and major cities in China, with a bottle costing around £50. The whisky is only three years of age, but whisky ages much faster in Taiwan's warm and humid climate. They have to bottle it at this age as they lose around 10% of the whisky's volume each year to the angel's share (the name given to the evaporation of the spirit while maturing in the cask). In comparison, this figure is around 2% a year in Scotland. We would like to thank Ian Chang, the Head Distiller at Kavalan, for giving us this sample and Lisa Huang for introducing us to Kavalan whisky.

Our tasting notes
This Port Cask finish is walnut brown in colour and the nose is rich and appealing. There is a sumptuous mix of aromas - toffee and dried fruits (think of currants and dried apple) are predominant with vanilla, coconut, walnuts, honey and warming spices (imagine cinnamon and cloves). On the palate, this still has some richness but feels fresher, lighter and spicier than the nose suggests. There is again toffee (although this is more like burnt sugar now) and dried fruits (think of currants and dried orange peel) and these are joined by vanilla, nuts (more like walnut oil this time), honey and the warming spices (still cinnamon and cloves but slightly more peppery). The whole feel is a little reminiscent of mulled wine at Christmas. There is also more red fruitiness (imagine grapes or stewed cherries) that comes through with time. The finish is lovely, rich and of medium length. It is pleasantly sweet, fruity and spicy but a little tannic and drier at the end (this can be felt on your gums especially).

What's the verdict?
Kavalan Port Cask finish is an interesting, lovely whisky. The richness and complexity belies its youthful age and it makes for very pleasant and easy drinking whisky. It is the richest, fruitiest of the three Kavalan whiskies that we have tasted to date. All are very different and very good and we cannot wait to taste more or see what new expressions they are planning. If you are ever travelling through south east Asia, then we would recommend that you have to try these whiskies. Let's hope that with their recent publicity that Kavalan gets a wider distribution and enables more people to try it.

Have just tried ... Kavalan Single Malt

Kavalan whisky is a new venture by the King Car Corporation in Taiwan. King Car was set up in 1979 and has grown to be one of Taiwan's biggest beverage and food manufacturers. Taiwan's whisky drinking population has grown considerably over the last two decades and the chairman of King Car decided to build his own whisky distillery. This new facility is one of the most technically advanced in the world and is located in Yuanshan, a town in the north of Taiwan. Yuanshan lies to the south of the major cities of Taipei and Keelung and close to the Pacific coast. It has copper stills that were constructed in Scotland and the distillery has an annual capacity of approximately six million bottles.

King Car decided to name their whisky range 'Kavalan' after a group of indigenous people who lived in the Yi-Lan County where the distillery is based. The range of whisky is currently small and consists of a single malt, a blend and the Solist collection, which are three single cask single malts - this one from a bourbon cask, a sherry cask and a Madeira cask. The Kavalan whisky has been created, selected and blended by the legendary Dr. Jim Swan, the Master Distiller at Penderyn distillery in Wales. He is a worldwide authority in the field of alcoholic beverages and has consulted with numerous distilleries, breweries and wineries over many years.

This Kavalan Single Malt, from the core range, is bottled at 40% ABV and is matured in ex-bourbon casks. It is currently only available in Taiwan and major cities in China, with a bottle costing around £40. The whisky is only three years of age, but whisky ages much faster in Taiwan's warm and humid climate, losing around 10% of its volume each year to the angel's share (the angel's share is the name given to the evaporation of the spirit while maturing in the cask). In comparison, this figure is around 2% a year in Scotland. We would like to thank Ian Chang, the Head Distiller at Kavalan, for giving us this sample.

The colour of this Kavalan Single Malt is golden and the nose is full of fresh bourbon cask characteristics - vanilla, cereal grains, oak, coconut and honey. There is also a slight herbal grassy note that comes through (think of dried grasses especially). On the palate, this whisky is fresh, zingy and vibrant with the vanilla and fresh oak prominent. A lovely sweetness is present that evolves from the malted barley and is reminiscent of honey. The coconut element is joined by almonds, a zesty lemon note and that dried grassy note again. The finish is of medium length and remains fresh, simple and full of vanilla oak and cereal grains. This Kavalan Single Malt is an uncomplicated but very enjoyable and easy drinking whisky. The intense ex-bourbon cask characteristics and the extra sweetness and creaminess from these result in a whisky that is closer to a bourbon than a Scottish or Irish whisky. It can easily be sampled on its own or would suit a mixer well and is definitely worth a try if you ever get the chance to or are in that part of the world.

We have already reviewed another Kavalan whisky - the Solist, a single cask release - which we preferred as it was more complex and rounded. The future looks promising for this new distillery and it will be interesting to see how the range of Kavalan grows and what other products will be released.

Have just tried ... Kavalan Solist - Taiwanese single malt whisky

At Whisky For Everyone, we are always trying to bring new whiskies to a wider audience and here we are proud to bring you one of the newest and most undiscovered whiskies in the world - Kavalan, a whisky made by the King Car Corporation in Taiwan. We must thank Lisa Huang, who bought this whisky back from her recent trip to Taiwan and allowed us to sample it. Taiwanese whisky, we can hear you say? Is this for real? You better believe it ... so, what is the story?

Kavalan whisky is a new venture by the King Car Corporation. King Car was originally set up in 1979 and has grown to be one of Taiwan's biggest beverage and food manufacturers. As Taiwan's whisky drinking population has been growing considerably over the last two decades, the chairman of King Car decided to build his own whisky distillery. He assembled an experienced team of professionals from various sectors of his businesses and took them to Scotland to learn the whisky making processes, traditions and techniques.

The new distillery is one of the most technically advanced in the world and is located in Yuanshan, a town in the north of Taiwan. Yuanshan lies to the south of the major cities of Taipei and Keelung and close to the Pacific coast. It has copper stills that were constructed in Scotland and the distillery has an annual capacity of approximately six million bottles. The whisky has been created, selected and blended by the legendary Dr. Jim Swan, the Master Distiller at Penderyn distillery in Wales. He is a worldwide authority in the field of alcoholic beverages and has consulted with numerous distilleries, breweries and wineries over many years.

King Car decided to name their whisky range 'Kavalan' after a group of indigenous people who lived in the Yi-Lan County where the distillery is based. The range of whisky is currently small and consists of a single malt, a blend and the Solist collection, which are three single cask single malts - this one from a bourbon cask, a sherry cask and a Madeira cask. This ex bourbon cask whisky is taken from the first single cask to ever be released by King Car and is non chill filtered and bottled at 58.8% ABV. It is only three years of age, but whisky ages much faster in Taiwan's warm and humid climate and loses around 10% of its volume each year to the angel's share (the angel's share is the name given to the evaporation of the spirit while maturing in the cask). In comparison, this figure is around 2% a year in Scotland. It is currently only available in Taiwan for around £60 a bottle.

The colour of this ex bourbon cask Solist is golden yellow and the nose is clean, fresh and aromatic. There is a lovely mix of vanilla, coconut, warm spices (think of ginger and cinnamon) and a hint of tropical fruits (imagine mango and pineapple). On the palate, this is sweet and creamy initially with lots of vanilla, cereal grains and woody oak. It is rounded and smooth with an interesting citrus tang (think of lemon zest) that gives it a freshness and mouth watering quality. It becomes less sweet with time in the mouth with some woody spice (imagine nutmeg and cinnamon) and coconut coming through. Due to the alcoholic strength, water was added although it was surprisingly easy drinking without. The water brings out the tropical fruits on the palate especially. The finish is medium sweet with vanilla and cereals present, before turning woody and oaky.

This Kavalan Solist from an ex bourbon cask is a lovely dram that surprised all of us that tried it with its smoothness, richness, balance and quality. They have done a very good job and it will be very interesting to taste future releases or some older whiskies from the distillery. The whisky is surprisingly easy drinking with lots of classical characteristics and is most reminiscent of a Speyside single malt. This would catch a lot of people out if tasted blind and Kavalan has already won a couple of silver medals at the IWSC Awards 2009 (International Wine & Spirits Competition). It is well worth a try if you get the chance.