Kavalan single malt whisky

 Kavalan single malt whisky

 We are carrying away to the east. In Taiwan. Why!? For a couple reviews of the only Taiwanese whisky distillery – Kavalan, owned by the King Car Group. „But do the Taiwanese even make whisky?“ – would have asked another Me in different dimension. The answer is yes, they do and it is quite decent indeed. 


 The distillery is young – founded in 2005, and against the centuries-old tradition of Scotland, it seems mildly strange and exotic. But only at first glance. The whisky that stems from it is not bad at all and together with the Japanese whiskies unflinchingly challenges their Scottish colleagues. The first distillate was launched in 2008, and it is roughly 2-3 year-old. The climate in Taiwan is quite different from that in Scotland and the heat allows for the whisky to reach its maturity faster. The high temperature is responsible for the higher percent of annual evaporation of the whisky /the so-called „Angel’s share“ or „Angel’s tax“/, which in Taiwan is 10%, while in Scotland it is only 2%. This feature, combined with the country of origin leads to the higher price of the final product. In Bulgaria it starts from about 100 lv. per bottle and reaches 200 and above for the higher class called „Solist“, which I will present you in the next two reviews. The first whisky of series is the „ordinary“ Kavalan single malt whisky.


 Aroma – pleasant, hints of bourbon, vanilla, butter note, peppery, cinnamon, woody, banana /banana concentrate, baked pear, „fruit salad“, dark dried fruits. The woody smell increases with water, „spice market“, caramel, and a few minutes late – raspberry juice. Taste – delicate, mild spiciness, relatively dry, vanilla. With the addition of water it becomes more peppery and malty, and the dryness also increases. Finish – medium length. Fresh and dried fruits /plums, raisins, banana/. Sweetness, but not so pronounced. With water becomes sweeter and increases the presence of dried fruits. 
 Assessment: 87/100.