World Whisky Review #1: Kavalan Whisky Classic

Distillery: Kavalan

ABV: 46%

Age: NAS, Distilled date stamp of 2015.10.17

Price: $70

Color: 1.5 Auburn, Polished Mahagony

Nose (according to the wife): Extremely prickly, dries up your nose pretty well. Maple syrup (she said it made her want pancakes) and cooked fruit are the main notes. There is a pleasant trace of tobacco as well.

Palate: Flavor profile follows along nicely with the nose. There is a lot of sweetness that reminds me of pancake/maple syrup mixed in with some minor fruity notes. Tobacco is on the tail end but is surprisingly pleasant.

Finish: The finish is very short, as expected from something very young. While the finish is there, it is very strong, stronger than you would expect of 46% ABV and sweet. There is a bit of fresh wood mixed in there.

Conclusion: As someone who enjoys sherried drams more than anything else, I found this one quite enjoyable to drink. The flavor profile isn’t extremely complex but it isn’t something I would call boring. As Kavalan’s most basic offering, this does peak my interest into what else they can offer.

Final Score: 77

World whisky review #1, Taiwanese whisky review #1, Whisky Network Review #6

Scoring Legend:

• 96-100: The perfect dram, nectar of the gods.
• 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky.
• 85-89: Amazing, will always try to keep a bottle of this in my collection.
• 80-84: Very Good, maybe only one minor nitpick about the whisky keeping it here.
• 75-79: Good, quite enjoyable to drink.
• 70-74: Solid, wouldn’t go out of my way to get it.
• 60-69: Meh, still drinkable.
• Below 59: If you have a bottle of this, start cooking with it instead.

Originally reviewed Feb. 25, 2018.