Kavalan 6 year old 2014 Vinho Barrique

Some of you saw the title of this review and were like, "😐. Kavalan + a sweet wine cask = predictable review." But hold on a second! I've liked the few Kavalan Vinho Barriques I've tried. Though they've all been a bit wild and sweet, they were also anything but boring. I'll take a vinho barrique over an immature bourbon cask or yesterday's situation, when it comes to Kavalan. However, my expectations are not set high, though I do hope for some sort of whisky miracle here.

Distillery: Yuan Shan Distillery

Owner: King Car Group

Brand: Kavalan

Region: Yuanshan, Taiwan

Age: 6 years (11 June 2014 - 27 Aug 2020)

Maturation: Vinho Barrique

Cask #: W140611004A
Outturn: 192 bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 57.8%

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose begins with a zany combination of plum wine, ginger, cinnamon, and Robotussin. It picks up notes of apricots, blackberry jam, and flowers after 20 minutes. Uh, the palate. Yeah. It's VERY perfumed. It takes a while for the 'buds to clear through the haze to find grapefruit, ginger, cherry syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla. After 40 minutes it gets aggressively bitter. It finishes with apricots, cherry candy, ginger, vanilla, and rosewater. It is very sweet.

DILUTED to 46%abv, or 1½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose still leads with plum wine, but now there's salted caramel, toasted oak, orange peel, and flowers. Less perfume in the palate. But soooooo much sugar, and an odd (but welcome) savoriness. It finishes very tangy, with smaller notes of vanilla, black pepper, and rosewater.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

😐 indeed. This cask's palate is almost broken when the whisky is served neatly. Its perfume assault is unmatched outside of '80s Bowmore. And then the bitterness kicks in. At least the addition of water brings it into the drinkable realm. On the other hand, the nose's weirdness is approachable and enjoyable, with or without dilution. But, yeah, no whisky miracles today.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - LOL
Rating - 76 (diluted only, this doesn't reach the 70s when neat)

Kavalan 7 year old 2010 Manzanilla Cask

Remember Kavalan? Neither do I.

Now, is that a burn? Or are we getting old? Or is the deluge of new distilleries getting ridiculous? Or all of the above?

Never a big Kavalan fan, I always found their whiskies to be extremely extractive, as the distillery uses wet casks in a hot and humid climate. Subjectively/Objectively, that approach doesn't work for my palate, and doesn't produce balanced whiskies. BUT I'm taking a slightly different angle with Kavalan this week, not dipping into their more famous Oloroso and Fino casks, but rather some alternative single vessels, starting with a Manzanilla sherry cask today.

Distillery: Yuan Shan Distillery
Owner: King Car Group
Brand: Kavalan
Region: Yuanshan, Taiwan

Age: 6 years (16 July 2010 - 27 Jan 2018)

Maturation: Manzanilla cask

Cask #: MA100716026A

Alcohol by Volume: 57.8%
(Thank you to Doctors Springbank!)

NEAT

It has a fun, active nose, full of candied pecans, toffee pudding, anise, tar, and furniture polish. There are some rye-like baking spices in the middle, and hints of raspberry jam and maple in the back. The palate is hot, nutty, and loaded with oak spice. Walnuts dusted with chili powder. Touches of lime and honey here and there. The hot finish reads acidic and tangy, with moderate notes of oak spice and maple.

DILUTED to 46%abv, or 1½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The rich nose shows nocino, mocha, and molasses, with a sprinkle of cardamom in the background. The almond extract-led palate is much sweeter now. Tart berries and drying tannins gradually take over. It finishes dry, tart, and lightly sweet.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

As I've found with bourbon, and other aggressively oak-forward whiskies, this Kavalan's nose is delightful, but the palate is not. Had the flavors matched the scents, this whisky would have been a wild, entertaining, desserty thing, but they don't due to the aforementioned quick extraction. A subtler aging in a dry Manzanilla cask could have resulted in something worth singing about. As it is, this cask will appeal to American whiskey fanatics more than someone with preferences like mine.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 81

Ardmore 23 year old 1997 SMWS 66.198

There was one more Ardmore sibling cask (66.199) after this one but, for only the third time out of nearly 2000 tastings, my glass's contents wound up in the carpet. Please shed no tears over this, as that whisky's quality did not match today's pour.

I've grumped aplenty about SMWS bothering these direct-fired-era Ardmore sibling casks with aggressive finishes. BUT But but, if one was to apply a two-year second maturation then one could do much worse than refill French oak. So let me introduce Ardmore 23 year old 1997 SMWS 66.198.

Distillery: Ardmore

Region: Highlands (Eastern)
Independent Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Age: 23 years (23 October 1997 - ???)
Maturation: 21 years in a hoggie, then two years in a refill French oak barrique
Cask#: 66.198, "Serene sunset satisfaction"
Outturn: 235 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 53.1%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

At first sniff, it's almost like a Highland Park, with rippling heather and Orkney peat. Then there's apple cider, oranges, roses, and (yes) mango, which all works flawlessly with the smoky undercurrent. Also, somehow, barley appears, sticks around, then leads the palate. Yes, barley, peaches, clementines, grapefruits, chile oil, and gentle beachy smoke. After 30 minutes it gets slightly sweeter (toffee) and bitterer (horseradish). The grapefruits and peaches remain in the finish, framed well with a mix of bonfire and cigarette smoke.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or < 1 tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose doesn't change much. It's still all apple cider, barley, mango, and roses, with subtle wood smoke. That smoke drifts away in the palate, leaving behind peaches, apricots, limes, and chile oil. The juicy finish matches the palate.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

I must offer rare props to SMWS for the whisky's name, "Serene sunset satisfaction", as I wouldn't mind sharing a bottle of this at the beach while watching the sunset. The cask keeps the good parts of youth, while disposing of all the less palatable elements. It also offers the lovely balance of smoke and fruit that I seek in many distilleries, but especially Ardmore. Only the slow chemistry of gentle casks produces a whisky like this. If I never have another one of these Ardmore sibling casks, I'd be happy to end with 66.198.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 90

Ardmore 23 year old 1997 SMWS 66.195

To be honest, after trying Wednesday's whisky I was feeling ambivalent about drinking one more direct-fired-era Ardmore ruined by SMWS's cask fuckery. Writing bitter reviews can be energizing, but drinking disappointing Ardmore is not.

Then last night I looked at the details for the next two scheduled casks, and saw promising glimmers in their caskwork. So I tried them side-by-side. And I was not disappointed.

Distillery: Ardmore

Region: Highlands (Eastern)
Independent Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Age: 23 years (23 October 1997 - ???)
Maturation: 21 years on a hoggie, then two years in a first-fill Oloroso barrique
Cask#: 66.195, "If these walls could talk!"
Outturn: 275 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 48.7%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

A gorgeous forest-like peat note stands above everything else in the nose; think earth, dead leaves, and mushrooms. Next: a damp dunnage floor. Mellow notes of dates and dried currants. A bit of mesquite smoke appears later on. Similar foresty peat notes appear in the palate, perhaps a bit smokier. But then there's some black coffee, a mild cigar, and bitter chocolate. Sweet oranges and raspberries highlight the background. Tobacco, mild wood smoke, oranges, and dried blueberries fill the finish.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or >¼ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Pulled pork, dried apricots, orange peels, and mild florals now fill the nose. The palate: blacker bitterer coffee, sweet berries, and a dunnage hint. It finishes with bitter coffee, bitter chocolate, and tangy citrus.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

This one is okay with me. In fact, the nose is excellent. Despite what the sample bottle label shows in the picture above, this was not an STR cask. And it wasn't a sopping gooey first-fill sherry vessel either. The cask does show up more in the palate, but not tragically so. I'm not sure why so many Ardmore casks drop below 50%abv even before their 20th birthday, but most of them are disarmingly drinkable as a result. This one is no exception. Whew.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 88

Ardmore 23 year old 1997 SMWS 66.191

It's time to continue my exploration into the 20+ SMWS Ardmore sibling casks that were all distilled on the 23rd of October 1997. As I've progressed through these casks, the SMWS numbers and ages have increased. The four I'll review this week are all 23 years old, and have been finished in aggressive-sounding casks. I like the former, not too sure about the latter. First up, an Ardmore with a rejuvenated-cask finish.

Distillery: Ardmore

Region: Highlands (Eastern)
Independent Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Age: 23 years (23 October 1997 - ???)
Maturation: hogshead first, then an STR Oloroso barrique finish
Cask#: 66.191, "Smoky dark cajun roux"
Outturn: 240 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 49.2%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose starts with a gentle nuttiness (hazels and brazils), followed by almond extract and dates. Mushrooms in the middle, peat waaaaaay in the back. Small notes of peach candy and carob show up after 30+ minutes. The palate begins with a mix of vanilla, bitter cocoa, dates, and dried apricots. More peppery than peaty, it also gets sweeter with time. It finishes very sweetly, almost like a mix of ginger ale and cream soda. Lime and wood smoke wait in the background.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or < ½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose becomes more sugary: milk chocolate, toffee, cream soda, and ginger candy. Toasted oak fills the middle, black walnuts wait in the back. The palate is as sweet as expected. Caramel and oak spice up front, ginger and lime behind. It finishes with lime, oak spice, and sugar.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

I do not understand why anyone would do this to Ardmore single malt. While this whisky is approachable and palatable, especially for a sweet-tooth, it's also generic. The finishing cask neutered whatever was poured into it. It's just X whisky in an STR oloroso cask. What's the point of that? Was the first maturation that bad? Or was SMWS worried that the lean mean Highland machine known as Ardmore wouldn't be loud enough for their customers' palates? This does not fill me with confidence about the other three this week...

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 81 (neat only, in the low-to-mid 70s when diluted)

Ardmore 21 year old 1979 Old Malt Cask, cask DL 266

The new year started with snowfall. So yes, 2024, Ice to see you too. It's as good of a time as any to warm up with a week of Ardmore! I have another four SMWSes distilled on 23/10/1997, so by the end of this week I'll have tried nine of the 20-ish sibling hoggies from that date. Yay for me! But before that, let's start off in the 1970s, please.

pic source

Distillery: Ardmore
Region: Highlands (Eastern)
Independent Bottler: Douglas Laing
Range: Old Malt Cask
Age: 21 years (Nov 1979 - Mar 2001)
Maturation: 30th-fill butt?
Cask #: DL 266
Outturn: 648 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 50%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

It's been 203 days since I used the A-word (and 734 days since I applied it to an Ardmore), so I'm allowed to fish it out now. The austere nose offers up only oats, yeast, horseradish, and slivovitz for the first 30 minutes. Then there's a little bit of lemon, metal, and new carpet. It picks up a nice farmy note around 45 minutes in. Meanwhile, the palate is sweet and lemony, slightly tarry and minty, with some fresh herbs in the background. It gets more oily and industrial with time. Honey, lemons, and oranges appear in the finish, where the whisky is more oily and salty than peaty.

DILUTED to 43%abv, or 1 tsp of water per 30ml whisky

Silvovitz and citronella move to the front of the nose, with coconut, honey, and ground cloves in the middle. A little bit of seaweed slips in later. The palate remains sweet and lemony, now with golden raisins, honey, and a whiff of wood smoke in the back. It finishes with honey, salt, and cayenne pepper.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

This wasn't what I expected, though I probably should have due to the Ardmore's very light color. The nose is quite lean and raw at times, but in a good way. It certainly isn't a contemporary style. Going a different direction, the palate is sweetie pie with only a suggestion of complexity in the background. This would be a interesting bottle to sit with and mull over for a year or two, but because it was bottled almost 23 years ago, I'm just going to have to fantasize about that.

Availability - Secondary market?
Pricing - ???
Rating - 86

Caol Ila 29 year old 1990 Gordon & MacPhail, batch 19/126 for Taiwan

(Caol Ila cluster homepage)

You didn't think I was going to leave you with just a bunch of teenage Caol Ilas, did ya? 2024's Caol Ila cluster will be more varied and may include some older stuff because this year's CI mini-cluster has left me with mixed feelings, much like 2023 itself. There were a few very good pours in the bunch, but I'm a bit troubled by the aggressiveness from the majority of the casks here. To experience such oak-juice-styled whiskies from two classic independent bottlers leaves me even less interested in buying whiskies blindly now. Of course, once I sample anything good here, the whisky has been sold out for years. So my bottle purchases will remain happily moderate.

Back to the whisky at hand. It's time to wrap up this mini-cluster with a 29 year old refill hoggie from the Port Askaig distillery. Life was pretty good when I was 29 and full of spirit, so my expectations of this whisky are cautiously optimistic. That makes sense to me.

Distillery: Caol Ila
Region: Islay
Owner: Diageo
Independent Bottler: Gordon & MacPhail
Range: Connoisseurs Choice
Age: 29 years (1990 - 12 July 2019)
Maturation: refill hogshead
Cask #: batch 19/126
Outturn: 219 bottles
Exclusive to: Taiwan
Alcohol by Volume: 51.7%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The nose centers on a graceful mix of sandalwood, peaches, apricots, almond extract, and bonfire embers. Notes of citronella, saline, and black walnuts arrive after 45 minutes. The palate is full of toasty goodness (nuts, oak, peat), lemon candy, cara cara oranges, and guava juice. Its smoke drifts between bonfire, barbecue, and seaweed styles over time. There's sooooo much citrus in the finish, as well as a few dried apricots and dried apples too. The barbecue-ish smoke lingers in the background.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or ¾ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Smoke rolls into the nose darker and sootier now, with citronella and pineapple beneath. Smaller notes of brown sugar and ocean appear later. There's less fruit and heftier smoke on the palate. It's sweeter and more acidic as well. It finishes with lemons, salt, wood smoke, and a slight bitterness.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

In lieu of finishing my personal life on a high note on the last day of 2023, I'm ending this year’s whisky tastings with a gem. I adore this stuff, in fact the first note I wrote about the palate is, "Oh shit." Period included. Once diluted, it's good, but when neat it's fabulous. A sucker for the guava, peaches, sandalwood, seaweed, and black walnuts, I am raising my second glass of this Caol Ila to you my great readers and wishing you all a lovely 2024.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 91 (neat)