Tag Archives: Star Fruit

Kavalan Solist “Vinho” Taiwanese whisky

Taiwan – 58.8%ABV – 200ml (special thanks to Ian Chang for the generous sample!)

The Kavalan range of whiskies, by the King Car Whisky Distillery out of Taiwan, are being churned out in short order but are not being done so in a way that would compromise quality.  I’ve been pretty impressed with most of their whiskies that I’ve tried so far.

I asked Ian Chang of King Car what the make up of the “Vinho” Solist was and I was surprised and impressed by the depth of Ian’s response:

“Indeed, the Vinho is part of our Solist series, which is a cask strength, single cask single malt whisky of course. The most special thing about it is that Vinho is fully matured in used American oak wine barrels that have been toasted and recharred in a way that brings out fruity vanilla notes from the whisky and wood overlaid on a delicate background of complex fruitiness.

The oak casks are made from 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 such as dill and lemon grass. The result is softness and added complexity.

The casks have (deliberately) been used to mature both red and white wines which eventually will contribute the background complex fruitiness to Kavalan / Solist Vinhos.

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 including lime, berry fruits and peaches. Then the casks are charred for a short period of time to release lashings of flavours such as vanilla, ice cream and caramelised sugars.

The result is a more complex whisky than is possible than with whisky casks alone!”

The process sounds very interesting.  Let’s see what it does to the taste…

On the nose Incredibly bourbony; that is to say, strong and sweet notes of vanilla and spice – this does not “taste” like bourbon.

The color, which is like a deep brown mixed with blood red, suggests heavily charred casks and some of the wine influence Ian mentioned.

Musty and heavy with cinnamon and burnt sugar.

Notes of papaya and paper bags.

Blackberries and fresh starfruit.

…an interesting interplay of scents.

Watered down tomato based alphabet soup.

On the mouthDrying and a bit meaty.

For 58.8% ABV, it’s not as hot as I had expected.

Notes of a nice Malbec wine, soft and slightly tannic.

Dark berries and red-wine-soaked raisins.

Left-over fried grizzle and super-sour green apples.

Slightly nutty and again, drying; like the way walnuts can dry your mouth.

FinishLong finish that’s increasingly peppered and a bit caramely….

In sum This is perhaps my favorite Kavalan yet. Very complex and nicely balanced. Sometimes wine finishes can be too complex and lacking balance… not the case with this one.

Perfect for after dinner kibitzing with friends.

Arran Amarone Cask finished 50% ABV

Islands region – 50%ABV – £38 | €45

Week #2 of my Arran reviews.  To view all of the Arran Malt whiskies I’ve tried so far, click here.

As the holiday season is about us, I’m reminded of just how thankful I am for all of the little things I’ve got.  For me, the holidays are all about getting together with friends and family.  In my family, because we are so spread out, this time of the year is about the only time I get to see some of my family.

So, forget the presents.  Nothing can replace that little conversation you get to have with the uncle you’ve not seen in 355 days.  Or being able to see your cousins, nephews or nieces grow up to be strong men and women…  Or sharing in some nice wine with everyone as your aunt demands you eat more food (even though you’ve already had to unbutton your pants to make room for the 3rd course).

One thing I do not have in my family, believe it or not, is a whisky drinker!  Yeah, my dad will dip into some Dewar’s from time to time and basically any single malt I throw in front of him but he’s not passionate about it like some of my other family members are about their wine.  For that camaraderie, I’ve got my society, fellow whisky bloggers and you – the readers of my blog.  So,while I am thankful for a great many things in my life, I am most thankful for you all.  I really appreciate you coming to the blog and continuing to return for more.  Todah Rabah (Thank you very much – Hebrew).

Oh, I’m also very thankful to Andy Hogan for the samlpe of this whisky!

Color An interesting pink hue to this whisky!

On the nose Lite-Brite nose chockfull of dry wine and pomegranate or perhaps cranberry juice.

Dry Rose champagne.

Grapefruit jolly ranchers.

Real apples with a leaning toward apple Fruit Roll-ups.

Sweet grass and morning dew.

Hints of RC cola.

On the mouth Thin-ish mouthfeel.

More notes of Rose champagne.

Paper lunch bags.

Star fruits and golden raisins.

Some hints of cumin spice.

My mouth is now watering which, joining schwartzes with the whisky, is now giving this a much more chewy mouthfeel.

Finish White pepper and white chocolate.  A touch more cumin.  Medium in length.

In sum The influence of the Amarone wine on this whisky is big.  I loved just starting at the pinkish hue of this whisky in between sips.  Sweet & dry – a nice one for early fall time.  Actually, a perfect Sukkot whisky.

The Arran Malt 14yr

Islands region – 46%ABV – $70 | £38 | €45

I’m going to skip the preamble today.  As I type this, it’s Thanksgiving weekend and there’s a lot of family schtuff going on so I’m tired and my time is a bit short.

Anyway, the Arran 14yr is much more exciting than anything I have to tell you.

Here we go y’all:

On the nose Big, big apples!  Wow!

Lemongrass.

Malty goodness.

Getting fruitier, this time a bit more tropical…mango and star fruit.

Caramel syrup.

A big fat fruity & juicy nose that makes me very happy!

On the mouth Fizzy-fizzy goodness (however I was hoping for a slightly chewier mouthfeel).

More floral in taste as compared to the nose.

Interesting…  Malt, top notch belgian beer (Duvel, my favorite).

Youthful notes – I’d love to taste what the new make spirit is like, my guess is that it’s strong personality is showing through to the final product.

Cereal notes.

Apple peels.  Dried apples.

Turkish delights minus the nuts.

Rose water.

A nice saltiness here.

Finish — Lasting, still fizzy.  A briny & fruity finish.

In sum Reminds me of a young Balblair with a set of balls (especially on the nose).  This is a very summery dram.  Bright and refreshing.

Loch Chaim Macallan 18yr Single Cask

Speyside region – 43%ABV – $96 – $127

As you may or may not know, I am part of a whisky blogging group called The Whisky Round Table.  We’re a group of 12 whisky bloggers who bring up a new topic every month to discuss.  Each month one of us fearless knights (of the Whisky Round Table) comes up with a question and we all have to answer it on that questioner’s blog.  You can follow our twitter feed here: @whiskyknights

Why do bring this up?  Well, Ruben of Whiskynotes.be recently brought up a great question about Independent bottlers (you can find it here as well as our answers to his question) and Loch Chaim, as I am finding, is one of these great indy bottlers we all discuss.

This next expression is a great example of a well chosen cask by an indy and another reason why independent bottlers should not and can not be ignored.

Color This is an 18 year old whisky?

I don’t normally rate color but this so light, like a Sauvignon Blanc.

Obviously, there’s no sherry influence here but even with a bourbon cask I would have expected more color.

On the nose Again, this is an 18 year old whisky?

Very aggressive nose filled with a boat load of spice and vanilla.

Some toasted coconut notes.

Lemon essence water.

Grassy.

Chamomile tea.

On the mouth Nice entry; slight viscosity.

More chamomile tea with an extra teaspoon of sugar.

Perhaps some green apple and star fruit.

Finish Tea and coffee.  A bit fizzy.

In sum Do not go into this thinking you’re going to experience your typical (read: sherried) Macallan.  This is as near the antithesis of a standard bottle of Macallan you can find.  However, this is not a bad thing.  Oh, I found this whisky to be very light and refreshing!  I could wake up with this stuff, it’s most invigorating.  Very much a springtime whisky.