Review : Kavalan, Single Sherry Cask #S100125026A – TWE Exclusive

A few new Exclusives for TWE are out : A single cask Kavalan sherry, 2009 7 year Caol Ila, and a Laddie 2002 micro provenance 13 yo. We’ll be starting with the youngest (most probably) and also the most expensive and sought after – A Kavalan (Taiwan) from a single sherry cask yielding 526 bottles at CS of 57.8%.  Seems that Kavalan is really gaining popularity among BIG sherry lovers (look at the ranking of this years’s Kavalan Malt awards /  ‘Malt Maniacs award..’ haha!). So yea, a young sherry , aged in the unique conditions in Taiwan. Let’s try that one, shall we? It’s bound to be good, but how good…?  sherry monster lovers, pay attention to this … Now

Kavalan, Single Sherry Cask #S100125026A, Single Malt Whisky, Taiwan, TWE Exclusive , 57.8% , £150 

Nose: Rich and thick, with abundance of dried fruit, mostly honey-sweet dates, sultana and prune, Xmas cake, and oodles of  “silan” (thick date honey), mixed with allspice   – it’s quite enticing. There’s a nice nutty edge to it as well, and a hint of black tea leaf, some eucalyptus extract, and wet earth just after the rain. Big Bold sherry, or so.
Palate: Boom. Boy it’s strong, with the monstrous sherry notes up front,  sprinkled with chilly bits then it turns softer with dried fruit salad, more date honey, ripe cherries, Brasil nut (earthy sort of), cinnamon, pepper, and more black tea,thick and chew-able. Sherry monster with a capital S. Sweet, with the pepper and spices balancing it a bit. 
Finish: dried fruit lingers, with pepper, earth, and bitter coffee grounds.
Conclusion:
A rather delicious dram, Big on the sherry as can be expected, Lovely stuff for after a good meal. If you’re a sherry head, you’ll love a bottle of that (and if BIG sherry is not your style, stay away..) Only downside is the price… and although the GBP is quite weak nowadays, 150 quid for a rather young cask, is a lot of money… oh well, sign O’ the times.

score: 88/100

 

Available on the TWE site for  £150 

 

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