Kavalan Concertmaster Port Cask Finish Single Malt

Rating: 16/23 I first tried this in a bar and loved it. Since then, I've been enamored with Kavalan Soloist Port and Kavalan Distillery Select (Batch 1), so I'm looking forward to finally trying this again. N: A tad muted - likely because of the low ABV - but there are lots of fruit notes in here. Cherry, apricot, orange peel. There's a bit of funkiness to it too that I usually associate with PX aging, but that I can understand coming with a port finish. There's a nectary sweetness and also a faint limestone minerality, though the limestone doesn't detract from the rest of the profile. Little bits of spice here and there (mainly cinnamon with some ginger). A bit of rich malt in with nectar sweetness that reminds me ever so slightly of buckwheat. P: Decadent fruity sweetness comes out, but it's not overbearing. There's a dry tannic side to it that I associate with bold port finishes like the Kavalan Soloist Port has, but this is mellower - and also a lot more watered down. In terms of fruit flavors, I get orange peel as the strongest - though not the first - flavor. There's some tangerine and cherry as well, though I'm not sure that I quite get apricot. Midway through the palate, I get that malty richness with a hint of buckwheat to it coming out. There's some ginger, clove, and cinnamon coming out of the tannin, and they add a bit of a mellow lively numbing prickly to this, which is a huge help because this is otherwise on the watery side. There's actually a fairly bold vanilla layer hiding in the back. I also get some limestone coming out of the tannins, which actually helps to strengthen the flavor they add without just making them too strong and one-note. It's like it adds a mellow supporting layer. The flavors here are generally quite good and the balance is very nice, but this really is just too low in proof. F: Tannic, spicy, numbing cara cara orange peel, with a bit of limestone and mild malty sweetness. Faint memories of cherry. - Conclusion - I understand how I previously gave this a 19, but I sadly can't go nearly that high now. As much as I like many of the flavors here, the low proof really muddles them and makes the whole thing kind of a watery experience. It's a shame because I think that this would be much better at 43% ABV and would really shine at 45-46%. Monkey Shoulder (14/23) is not quite as muddled as this is (which says a lot), but it really lets its ethanol show through more. Between the two, I have to give the win to this for having such nicer flavors, but it wasn't immediately obvious to me that I would conclude that. I think that this is probably at least a 15, but not much higher than that. And I could come back and give it a high 14. Knappogue Castle 12 (15/23) is closer in quality to this. I can imagine going either way, but I'd probably lean toward this. There's a really nice core flavor to the Knappogue Castle, with nectar backed by sort of a tasty nuttiness. I've gone back and forth a couple of times and I think that I still prefer this, but barely. Kavalan Distillery Select (Batch 1) (16/23) may not have quite as much nuance as this does, but it's bolder with nice tannins and a rich nutty underbelly. The two are competitive, but, unfortunately, the Distillery Select seems a little bit better to me. The question is now whether this is a 15 or a 16. Tragically, it is not at all the 19 I originally gave it. Even more tragically, I think that a few more percent ABV might have made it that. Fortunately, I am ultimately concluding that there's enough complexity here and enough nice flavors to earn a 16. Still, this is a fairly disappointing dram.

The nose starts with a moderate sourness with a mix of pomegranate, pineapple and black pepper then dark chocolate covered cherries and toasted walnuts followed by mango, strawberries with balsamic vinegar and anise spiced poached pears that transitions to ginger, cloves and mild ashy oak with no ethanol burn. The taste is a thin mouthfeel starting with a faint tropical fruit before a moderate bitter and sour spice that slowly fades to brandy soaked cherries, cocoa nibs and walnuts followed by sour strawberries, lemon, and grapefruit pith that transitions to a a chalky powdered ginger, cloves and black pepper with light ethanol burn. The finish is short with high percentage dark chocolate, espresso, toasted walnuts, strawberry jam, black pepper and mild ashy oak. The nose on this started out promising with a mix of sour red fruits, tropical fruits, nuts and mild spices, but the taste is unfortunately thin from that 40% ABV which seems to mute the flavors which are along the bitter and sour side before finishing quickly with bitter ashy notes dominating over the light red fruits that are trying to peek through. Side by side with Kavalan distillery select, the concertmaster is thinner with a higher bitter spice whereas the distillery select comes together with a better balance of flavors with a richer mouthfeel which is surprising considering its intended for mixing and the concertmaster is not. At the price of $90+ around me, this is a hard pass that just doesn't come together well and you can get the distillery select for half the price that IMO edges the concertmaster out. Thanks @ContemplativeFox for the generous sample

Unpleasant, artificial aroma. Palate with honey melon up front, before a wave of sherry-like raisin juice floods the palate. Tastes intensely sweet, but artificially so. Finish can linger with spice, ginger, or bitter chocolate. A half-teaspoon of water muddles the initial melon flavors, but highlights the port notes. Water in this Taiwanese whisky isn't a good move. While excelling in sweetness, the artificial-like quality of the experience makes this a one time purchase. I am sorry, Kavalan, I wanted to adore you. My Rating Glossary: Two Stars: "I'd rather be drinking lite beer." Two 1/2 Stars: "Posh rubbish." Three Stars: "I love whisk(e)y. This is average love." Three 1/2 Stars: "May buy again." Four Stars: "I've got to get you into my life." Four 1/2 Stars: "Better than drugs." Five Stars: "Life is good. Whisky makes it better."

Wow this is a great dram. I have heard the first "concertmaster" wasn't that good but this "port cask finish" one is very good. I was enjoying it with some friends and all had their minds blown by it. Made by 3 different port casks (ruby port, tawny port and vintage port casks), this is a sweet expression from the taiwanese whisky. Bottled at 40%abv. On the nose is amazing. Floral, sherry, tangerine, oranges, lemon peel, chocolate. Beautiful stuff. On the palate, lots of brown sugar, orange candy, toffee. Delicious cloying sweet sensation. Finish is short with a tobbacco/ashy flavor. Not pricy at all, (about 70$) this is something that can make you happy. Overall i give it a 93 over 100, very recommended. Slainte!

It smells rich and fruity. This is definitely a lot richer than the regular Kavalan with more of a chocolate and dark cherry presence. It tastes like bing cherries were soaked in this whiskey. It has more of a cinnamon spice flavor to it that I quite enjoy. It has some nuts and caramel too, as well as some nice balanced vanilla. It's a hedonistic pleasure to drink. Some more age and complexity would help, but this is a splendid whiskey even without those changes. There's a bit of smoke but it isn't too much. This is easy to sip in quantity. The finish is very nice and none of the flavors are off. It's very jammy in a fun and rich way. What a delight, despite its short duration.

Mine is 43% so I included a picture in case this is the wrong whiskey. N: Faint Port on the nose, but it mainly just like a single malt. If I didn't know better, I'd probably assume a Highland Scotch. P: Super light on the palate. Give it a few seconds and the Port begins to shine through. It's nice, but the low proof does it no favors. I guess I would consider this a beginners Single Malt. It's fine with a little something on the end as the jamminess of the port comes through. F: Short finish along the lines of blink and you'll miss it. I wanted to like this more, but this will be a one and done for me.