Kavalan Classic Single Malt

Get a bottle this summer!

My birthday is in October. And last October I was already spending a lot of time discovering new whisky, drinking new blends and explore new recipes.
In lieu of this, my parents came by to congratulate me and handed me a gift.
I started to smile as I recognized the box as being a bottle. But I did not expect this one; The Kavalan Classic Single Malt

Now I first encountered a Kavalan whisky at Whisky in Leiden in 2018. Where me and my partner in whisky crime went to the stand of the King Car Group and tried the Kavalan Solist. We were both stunned by the flavor and promised ourselves there and then, that we would get a bottle of Kavalan as soon as time, money and wives permitted. But A promise made after a load of drams, and followed by a few drams more is one you forget easily.

So imagine my joy when I unwrapped this whisky from the paper!

Now this particular whisky, was first released on december 4th, 2008.
Yes. That is very recent.
The Kavalan distillery started in 2005, so is a "young" distillery, although it took a lot of experience from the King Car Group with them. It is based in Taiwan, and you can visit the distillery. Just make a reservation on their website

Now, the whisky itself is overall a very nice whisky to drink in some more warmer temperatures. I really like to drink it while grilling, as a nice fruity BBQ-partner.

A quick twirl around the glass shows a small oily line with thin tear stripes.
On the nose at first a bit glue-like, almost chemical. But then: very, very fruity. Fruits I would normally not mention. Almost tropical like pineapple and dragonfruit. Small hints of honey and vanilla.

The taste was almost the same, but with a smooth spirit vibe: Ripe plums, vanilla, oak. The oily look returns in the way the flavor lingers in your mouth.

The finish was quit long. Oily, leather, vanilla and spicy. Quite different from the nose and taste.

Score: 82