In November 2021 Taiwanese Kavalan distillery launched a new Kavalan Triple Sherry Cask. As the name suggests it is matured in a combination of three types of sherry casks: Oloroso, Pedro Ximénez and the rarer Moscatel sherry. The objective was to get the dried fruits from the Oloroso and combine it with the sweetness of the two other types of sherry cask.
Too bad this single malt is bottled at 40% ABV, which is so Dalmore so 1990s.
Kavalan Triple Sherry Cask (40%, OB 2021)
Nose: very rich, clean and aromatic. There’s an overdose of ripe red berries, with underlying fig bread and dates, as well as blueberries and some fresh grapes. Toffee and milk chocolate, with brown sugar pastry and cinnamon. Also a specific fragrant woody note (rose petals, fresh herbs) that comes really close to what you get in well-aged cognac.
Mouth: certainly not as weak as I feared. Surprisingly rich even, showing more dates, rum raisins, candied fruits and honey sweetness. Blood oranges. There’s a bit of pressure-cooked woody character involved but the strength keeps any dryness at bay. Hints of Christmas cake, clove and a good dose of caramel sweetness.
Finish: medium, with a nutty note, more chocolate and caramel. Now the toasted wood is quite prominent.
They wanted to create a smooth whisky, and it delivers exactly that. Is this a match to the classic Kavalan Solist sherry bombs? No, but it does offer a lot of sherry richness with an oriental twist. Good value for money, despite the ‘painting by numbers’ approach and the fact that the ABV could be higher. This will be available first in Asian markets, Australia, Canada and France. Now also available from The Whisky Exchange or Master of Malt for instance.