World Whisky Review #34: Kavalan Solist ex-Bourbon Cask

Distillery: Kavalan

Region: Taiwan

Cask Type: ex-Bourbon

ABV: 58.6% Cask Strength

Age: NAS

Color: 0.6, Old Gold.

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Nose: (according to the wife) It seems like a sweet treat. There’s snickerdoodle cookies in all of their cinnamon and sugary goodness along with a nice healthy serving of peanut butter and brown sugar.

Palate: It is definitely on the sweeter side of things. It is a tad hot so watering this down is a must. Before water is added, it’s very heavy on the caramel with a bit of chocolate. It’s like a soft chocolate caramel melting in your mouth, rich and sweet and just oozing everywhere. With some water, it doesn’t change a whole lot other than the heat being taken away. It’s still a rich chocolate and caramel candy. There are hints of nougat that pop in which remind me heavily of a Milky Way bar.

Finish: Medium in length. You get some more nougat and caramel here. With some water, vanilla and oak also pop.

Conclusion: I’ve had a few Kavalan’s to date and each of them has impressed me quite a bit. This ex-Bourbon Solist is no exception. It’s an absolute candied treat. The nose tease that you’re in for a sugary dessert concoction. The palate absolutely delivers with chocolate, caramels, and nougat everywhere. The finish continues on with even more candy notes and adding in a bit of vanilla. It’s really quite tasty, and while I doubt I could drink this daily, makes for a very fun whisky. I wish there was a little more depth to this, it is a tad simplistic. Would I buy a bottle? If money was no objection, absolutely. Unfortunately, Kavalan Solist’s are not very wallet friendly and I’d have to think twice about getting this one.

Final Score: 83.

World Whisky Review #34, Taiwanese Whisky Review #4, Whisky Network Review #307

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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 (if feasible).
• 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.