Kavalan Solist ex-Bourbon Cask

Review by: zSolaris

Distillery: Kavalan

Region: Taiwan

Cask Type: ex-Bourbon

ABV: 58.6% Cask Strength

Age: NAS

Color: 0.6, Old Gold.

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.

Scoring Legend:

  • 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
  • 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
  • 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
  • 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
  • 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
  • 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
  • 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
  • 50-59: Save it for mixing.
  • 0-49: Blech.

Published by zSolaris

Unknown's avatar

Home is where the corn is! Or at least that's what I told the wife before moving her from sunny Southern California to the Midwest anyway. She doesn't share my love of scotch, the drink, but has been incredibly supportive of my little wander down the rabbit hole. We do both share a love of Scotch, our dog, though (she named him, I swear!). He's the cutie in the profile pic.

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