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Kensington Wine Market's 2023 Whisky Calendar UBER EDITION Day 17 - Kavalan Solist Fino Sherry

Posted on December 17, 2023

by Evan

Ahh, Kavalan – perhaps the most highly regarded Single Malt Whisky brand outside of Scotland. Kavalan has had a tremendous few decades in the limelight, gaining awards and accolades from nearly everyone that tastes its whisky.

In the early to mid-2000s, the term Single Malt Whisky wasn’t really bandied about. If it was said, most people meant Single Malt Scotch specifically and were rarely talking about whisky made in other parts of the world. Single Malt Whisky had been made outside of Scotland for quite some time, but most of the releases were either small-scale and localized, considered quirky abominations, or used as fodder for blended whiskies. To many in the Western world, Amrut launching its Single Malt Whisky in 2002 was the first exposure to Malt Whisky made in pot stills from somewhere outside of Scotland, Ireland, or Japan.

Thanks to globalization and a plethora of Single Malt Whisky producing distilleries all around the planet opening up and/or gaining more recognition, the Whisky world is a lot different in 2023. In my opinion, much of that is thanks to Amrut, Kavalan, and the late Dr. Jim Swan.

Kavalan Distillery was founded in 2005 in Yilan County, Taiwan. It is about a 1hr 20-minute drive from the Taipei Taoyuan International Airport, taking you from the Northwest coast of the island country to near the Northeast coast, just north of the Yanlang River. It was founded by Tien-Tsai Lee and owned by his company – The King Car Group. The first spirit ran of Kavalan’s stills in 2006, and in 2009, the first whisky bottling from its renowned cask strength Solist range was introduced.

The Solist range is what has led most to Kavalan’s rise internationally. The range consists of a variety of single casks bottled at cask strength with the ex-Bourbon and ex-Oloroso Solist casks being the first to launch. The range was soon expanded and now includes a multitude of different releases, featuring whisky matured in casks that once held rum, brandy, wine, Madeira, Port, and more.

Much of Kavalan’s work with different casks is thanks to the late Dr. Jim Swan. Swan worked with quite a few new distilleries around the world as a consultant until his passing in 2017. Many of these distilleries have made their mark by launching young, but incredibly flavourful and accessible whisky. Distilleries that Dr Swan worked with and contributed to include Kavalan in Tawain, Amrut in India, Cotswolds in England, Penderyn in Wales, Milk & Honey in Israel, Kilchoman on Islay, Lindores Abbey in Scotland, and more.

The Kavalan we are trying today is the Solist Fino – which means the whisky was matured in a cask that once held Fino Sherry. Fino is considered the driest of all sherry styles and is made in a curious fashion by allowing a naturally occurring mold called Flor to develop the cask the sherry is aged in. Flor develops a layer atop the wine in the cask and acts as a barrier, preventing oxygen contact from changing the wine. Flor also decreases the sugar content of the wine also the oxygen in the cask itself.

For more on Fino Sherry casks and how it influences whisky, check out this post from Kilchoman Ditillery.

Fino sherry tends to be light and dry on the palate compared to other sherries. It usually exhibits a yeasty and chalky character and often shows notes of green fruits, and apples, plus some herbal tones, salinity, and often a bright acidity. So, what does a Fino cask impart to whisky that ages in it? Let’s find out!

Kavalan Solist Fino Sherry - 57.8%

Evan’s Tasting Note

Nose: For a dram that is likely well under 10 years old, there are plenty of old leather and tobacco notes wafting around in here. Also pistachio nuts, granny smith apple slices, shredded coconut with a squeeze of lime, along with rhubarb and tart strawberries, or strawberry tarts – you pick.

Palate: A tightly wound wine and wood spice hit up front, along with fruit leather, more green apple, peppermint tea, lemon and honey cough drops, Dutch licorice, and ginger beer.

Finish: Concentrated fruit and spice notes all the way down. Slightly drying.

Comment: This whisky is so tightly packed with aroma and flavour that it all seems to fight for attention at once. It is a fun ride, but it might be a bit exhausting to have multiple drams of it in one sitting. Take your time with it and it will reward you.

Cheers,
Evan
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Facebook & Instagram: @sagelikefool

You can find all blog posts for the UBER EDITION of Kensington Wine Market’s 2023 Whisky Calendar Here