Kavalan Solist Port Single Cask Strength

The aroma is exceptionally rich. It presents less like port or fruit and more like wood and smoke. There's a distinct firework characteristic in the nose. This smells like a serious Jamaican rum. With some swirling, the aroma reveals hints of tropical fruits, with mango being the most prominent. It smells incredibly rich, and I anticipate a rich taste. Just before tasting, more fruits emerge in the aroma, particularly cherry, with a touch of tangerine (though perhaps it's the mango). The aroma is complex, intriguing, and delightful. If the taste matches, it will justify the exorbitant cost. The palate has a surprisingly light texture and a surprising dryness. However, the flavor is incredibly full and continuously evolves. It begins rich with smoke akin to fireworks, but some tartness emerges, giving way to fruitiness, revealing cherry, mango, and a noticeably astringent pineapple quite clearly. The flavors are very good, and the profile is quite distinctive. The balance and fullness of flavor are also exquisite. The fireworks strongly suggest rum, as do the tropical fruits, but the presence of cherry instead of banana and plenty of malty notes make this taste like a whiskey with rum influence. There's a fair amount of tartness, so it tastes somewhat like a blended grain whiskey with malt and rye aged in rum and bourbon barrels. The fact that I can describe it this way and that it possesses distinct flavors makes it a very good whiskey. It lacks the smooth, rich integration that comes with age, but its flavors stand out well on their own, and they are all good. This is assertive, as more spirits should be. The fireworks are a bit strong, though. Still, I appreciate that it must be sipped slowly, making it easy to savor and difficult to consume quickly. It's great, though possibly not worth the price. I almost wish it had more PX sweetness, though in reality, it is sweet enough. There's a somewhat metallic note accompanying the tropical fruit (I believe) that is a bit unappealing. A few drops of water enhance the fruit, though the highly tannic fireworks persist. Diluting it by half results in dry, rich, bitter, tannic flavors with some present astringency. It tastes good, but the tannins seem too harsh. It's thoroughly drinkable, and I like it, which is unsurprising given my fondness for a particular rum. This tastes markedly inferior to a certain Speyside Scotch, which is far more balanced with more immediate complexity. This is much harsher and relies on incredibly full flavor with a lot of tannins (and high ABV) to achieve its standing. That rum has more complexity and less intensity. Interestingly, I slightly prefer that rum. This is fascinating, though, and doesn't quite fit. On a more recent tasting, this is delicious! Following a particular Foursquare rum, it is richer with a significant amount of wood, chocolate, and fruit. As long as the wood recedes into the background without overpowering everything and just provides a rich base, there is terrific complexity with plenty of sweetness that doesn't seem out of place. It's all quite balanced as long as that smoke is contained. It has too much tannins and a bit too much astringency on the finish, making it drying, but it is actually very good. It actually performs better for the price than would be expected because not only is the ABV high, but also the flavor is really strong. One key issue, however, could be that it tastes more like a rum than a Scotch. There's a lot of wood present with some sawdust in the aroma, but the sawdust doesn't really come through in the taste. Instead, it has more of that red wine astringency. If you told me that this had been aged in red wine barrels, I would definitely believe you. A certain Highland Scotch smells and tastes (oddly) more like a strawberry poptart, but it does have a decent amount going on. Between the two, this is slightly better, but the difference in quality is not tremendous. This seems about a couple of points higher. It's not delicate, but it is rich with some nice complexity. Oddly, it's more like rum meets bourbon than it is like Scotch. I prefer that Foursquare rum, which is quite telling given the price difference. Still, this is a really good dram. It definitely lacks the Sherry influence of a particular other brand. Somehow, that other brand tastes a bit like cough syrup after drinking this. Not a good comparison for that other brand. Wow, following that other brand, this somehow tastes better. It's still quite astringent, though (and this is after a bourbon). A certain Glenfarclas offers relief with some chocolate and malty notes (though not much else beyond that somehow; I think that other brand is more sherried, though the Glenfarclas milk chocolate in these circumstances is quite nice). In comparison, a certain Springbank leaps out with balance and Scotch complexity. This is competing with the top tier, but it doesn't quite succeed. There's a huge amount of quality and potential here, but it was clearly rapidly aged, leading to too much wood. A certain Kavalan has a ton of potential, though. This lacks the delicate nature of a particular Port Charlotte. That Port Charlotte packs a punch, but this surpasses it. That Port Charlotte might not be the most complex whiskey, but it is quite good. This seems on par with it. The complexity here is superior, but the balance is off due to that background flavor. Rich now, this seems better. I understand why this is difficult to drink. A certain Delord is lighter and drier with flavors that are more herbal with standard fruit notes. That Delord is interesting and complex in its own way, but it doesn't stand up to the intensity of this dram despite its strong flavor for its ABV. This has some of that Delord tartness and dryness and acidity. Of the two, I prefer this, but only when able to appreciate the complexity despite the overwhelming background notes. This dram is hard to evaluate, like a final boss with two stages.

It's Friday, time for a drink. But this isn't just any drink; it's the perfect companion to watching Jessica Jones. Forget weak drinks, you need something robust. My choice tonight is this Taiwanese gem, aged entirely in port casks in a hot climate. It has a deep, burnt sienna color. The aroma is incredible, full of sweet cream and strawberries – a truly stellar nose. The palate is a bit less impressive but still delivers sweet berries and caramelized sugar. It's very rich and thick, likely due to the high proof. A single serving cost around $10, but a full bottle runs close to $300. While I wouldn't pay that much, a taste is definitely recommended if you get the chance. You'll enjoy it. Jessica Jones herself has also upgraded her drink choice to Michter's, a step up.

The nose is bold and dense with a syrupy richness that begins with caramelized figs, balsamic syrup over diced strawberries and an antique leather-bound armchair, followed by vanilla crème brûlée and a spicy mocha, then cherries jubilee, anise-spiced baked pears and raspberry jam that transitions to candied ginger, cloves and a slightly burnt pie crust with a high ethanol burn. The taste is a rich and syrupy mouthfeel starting with blackberry jam and slightly soured tropical fruits that quickly shifts towards a high peppery bitterness and sour spice that slowly fades to figgy pudding, strawberry syrup and freshly lit pipe tobacco, then vanilla cupcake and chocolate-covered espresso beans followed by raspberry sorbet, anise-spiced baked pears and lemon zest that transitions to cloves, candied ginger and a moderate ashy oak spice with a high ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with moderate ashy oak, black pepper, pipe tobacco, diced strawberries, sour cherries, leather-bound books and bitter black tea. Overall, this was a very good whisky with rich and dense flavors of red berries, tropical fruits, citrus, and earthy spices, but the balance is off with a high bitter spice that detracts from those dense fruity flavors and finishes moderately bitter with those red berries slightly showing through. At a price of $250+, this is priced far too high for me to consider purchasing, but I am extremely grateful that a friend was generous enough to share this with me.

57.8% ABV Barrel #0090714056A | Container #030/184 Sniff - (plain) Intense sugary dried plums/figs, dark cocoa, strawberry jam, woody apple cider (diluted) Just slightly less overwhelmingly sweet but much the same. Sip - (plain) Astringent, yet thick with sweetness, dark dried plums, piquant white pepper, allspice & nutmeg (diluted) Less thick, more harmonious dark berry/pit fruit preserves, the spice heat is greatly lessened. Aftertaste - (plain) Extended lingering dark dried pit fruit, syrupy sweetness, faint spicy acridity, mouth feels dry (diluted) Still sweet but less viscous, less fiery, less acrid, a faint touch of tart berry shows up at the conclusion. Rating - 83/100 Concluding Remarks - This dram was, in general, overpoweringly sweet. It seemed like the dominant feature was a heavy, dried dark pit fruit syrupy sweetness, possibly from a damp port barrel. It was very uniform and simply sugary until a small amount of water was added, which, in this instance, significantly improved it. Unfortunately, the fruity/floral notes found in their other spirits are entirely masked by the port, making this quite blandly one-note. I believe depending on the specific barrel/container, adding a little water is needed to prevent it from tasting like potent port. Interestingly, right at the very end of the aftertaste, subtle dark chocolate notes emerge, giving the impression of dark chocolate-covered dried dark pit fruits. This certainly drinks like a dessert beverage.

Nose: Astonishingly powerful, with fortified wine, raisins, plums, and spicy wood. It suggests long aging in a humid environment, being very immersive and intoxicating. Palate: It immediately impresses with its smoothness, but also with its cask strength alcohol content and powerful spiciness. It confirms the nose with port and raisins, but also candied orange peel and marzipan. It almost resembles an exotic liqueur more than a whisky. A perfect, long, and smooth finish. Nothing to fault, it's a great product. However, I do see a significant flaw: in my opinion, it deviates significantly from the concept of classic whisky. Perhaps too exotic; it's still an Asian whisky! Nevertheless, a solid 4.50 rating.

** Disclaimer: This review is what I would consider a “Quick Hit”- meaning I won’t have my usual in-depth notes that I usually like to take. The reason: this sample was poured at Whiskyfest DC on 4/17/18. All of these reviews will not be scored and I am actively looking to try them again at some point to do them more justice. This was the second Kavalan I tried at the festival and it had some serious, yet peculiar, flavors occurring. Heavy raisins and grape sweetness, and it shifted from dry to oily all throughout the same sample. It left a lingering oak note on the palate, and that was the only negative aspect I recall. I’d be interested in trying it again to get another impression. I have a feeling the Soloist series represents the highlights from Kavalan. Maybe I’ll redirect some scotch funds towards these bottles, as I believe they’d make a great addition to my collection of Asian whiskies. Cheers.