Last Saturday I was lucky enough to get to go do a vertical tasting of Kavalan at the SoCal Whiskey Club and of the 6 whiskies I tasted this one was my favorite. It was unique without destroying the entire essence of a good whisky. One thing to note is that these whiskies are not yet available in the USA, but there are rumors that they might be hitting our fair shores sometime next year. Maybe even earlier as is seems like they just picked up an importer.
If you’ve had this awesome whisky add your own tasting notes in the comments below.
Kavalan Single Malt Solist Vinho Barrique Review
ABV: 57.7%
Price: $95-$100
Distiller: Kavalan
EYE
A nice deep ruby caramel with intense ruby reflections in the light.
NOSE
The first sniff was all dark rum and floral notes. The second sniff came with some citrus fruits, dark chocolate and a vanilla brulee that made it incredibly appetizing to smell.
TASTE
Explosive with an initial dark rum punch followed by a very cognac like flavor and then more traditional brown sugar and vanilla. There are also some notes of dark fruit, vanilla, caramel, grapes, apricots, and herbs that surface from time to time and a bit of water really helps bring these undertones to the surface. A very complex and flavorful whisky.
FEEL
Mostly smooth, but there was a little bit of a bite. Initially it felt like a red wine with the whisky cutting in at the last second for a little burn and like all of the Kavalans it’s quite dry.
FINISH
Grains, grapes, and cognac dominate the aftertaste but it fades to caramel ice cream rather quickly with the wine gliding in before it all fades to the background.
SCORE: NA/100 – Didn’t get to spend enough time with it to feel confident about a rating, but it would most likely be in the low 90s.
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