Tasting

Anyone nosing a Kavalan for the first time is more likely to think of a fruit stand than a distillery. Pineapple, mango, and papaya come to the fore, underscored by vanilla and honey. This fruitiness doesn't come from any special barley, but from the fast, hot maturation in the casks at Yuanshan.

Kavalan Classic Single Malt shows this profile in its most approachable form: ripe, sweet, with no rough edges. It matures in a mix of bourbon and sherry casks. Kavalan Concertmaster, finished in port casks, adds berry and raisin notes on top. It tastes rounder, almost like a sweet dessert in a glass.

At the other end stands Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique, unfiltered and bottled at cask strength. It was named World's Best Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards in 2015. From the STR wine cask come dark fruit, spice, and a certain bite, making it clear that cask strength at Kavalan isn't a side effect, but a deliberate choice.

Given the often high alcohol strength, a few drops of still water are worth adding to the glass. It opens up the aromas without drowning them. It's best tasted at room temperature, not chilled, since the humid warmth of the Lanyang Plain still lingers, in a sense, within the glass. It's worth taking your time between sips: after the heat of the warehouse, the whisky needs a few minutes in the glass to reveal itself fully.

A second sip is almost always worthwhile, since the tropical fruit notes only reveal their full depth after a short time in the air. When tasting several bottlings side by side, it's best to start with the mild Classic and work up to the more powerful Solist cask-strength expressions.