Kavalan Solist Moscatel Single Cask Strength

This is cask no. MO100625015A. I have bottles 398 and 399 out of 499. 55.6% ABV. Near the start of the COVID pandemic, for $800, I had a choice between a pair of these ridiculously ornate 10 pound wooden boxes containing premium Kavalan whisky; or a pair of 10 pound dumbbells for my home gym. I chose the former. What Kavalan Single Cask Strength Moscatel Sherry Cask brings is merely the best sherried whisky I’ve tasted in recent memory. I have not been this blown away by a sherry bomb since the early bottlings of Aberlour A’bunadh about a decade ago. Imagine the complexity of a Glendronach 18 with the cleanliness of older Macallan 18, but bottled at 55.6%. I highly recommend you do not start drinking this neat. It is too rich. It is so sweet that it is bitter. It is so sherried that it just taste like vodka soaked prunes. It is almost unidentifiable as whisky. I believe the closest tasting spirit in my collection to this whisky when poured neat is a rum: Diplomatico Ambassador, which is a PX sherry aged sherry bomb of a rum. Water this down to 45-50%, and it opens up and becomes more inviting. There’s still prunes, as well as raisins, dates, and grapes. But, with water, the sweetness is diluted to levels that are actually comprehensible, and now you can actually taste some malt and believe that this may actually be a single malt whisky. But after trying this with water, I recommend you then return to this neat. Now that your tastebuds are acquainted, they may be ready to appreciate this absolute fucking sherry syrup extract. There’s no sulphur; there’s no sudden woody harshness you get with these modern “sherry seasoned” attempts. How in the world did Kavalan get a hold of these casks for their single cask expressions? I did not know you could still experience sherried whisky like this. You can skip the Kavalan Vinho, by the way; it’s half the price but not nearly as good. If you’re thinking about spending $250 on some good whisky, you might as well spend $500 on the best whisky in a certain flavor profile. Score: *** (I am not worthy) How much does a bottle cost?: $400-600 How much do I think a bottle is worth?: $600

To finish off my Kavalan series, I have this Kavalan Solist Moscatel single cask that was generously provided by @ctbeck11 and has an ABV of 57.10%. The nose is bold and dense with a syrupy richness that starts with prunes, roasted salted pistachios and antique leather bound armchair then cacao nibs and freshly lit pipe tobacco followed by white grape juice, orange blossom and nectarines that transitions to anise, cardamom, saffron and black tea leaves with high ethanol burn. The taste is a rich and syrupy mouthfeel starting with creamy tropical fruits and caramelized figs before a mild pepper spice that quickly fades to dusty leather bound books and freshly lit pipe tobacco followed by cocoa powder dusted prunes, sautéed peaches in brown sugar and white grapes that transitions to anise, cardamom, saffron, cloves and mildly bitter black tea with high ethanol burn. The finish is long with caramelized figs, fresh lit pipe tobacco, mild black pepper spice, cardamom, anise and dusty leather books that lingers for minutes. This is an exceptional whisky that the flavors are dense and rich with those sherry notes dominating but is balanced with old oak, tropical fruits, citrus and unique spices. The only real fault is that this has a mild bitterness on the taste and finish that detracts from those rich fruity flavors that prevents this from a perfect score. At around $400, this is an expensive purchase, but it is a high quality product with some of the densest and richest flavors that I've ever experienced in a spirit.

Thought I was done but really just wanted to drink sherry finished whisky and I haven't reviewed this one. First off sorry about the price i got this at, it was on sale for half price. Nose - there's a smoky barrel roasted barely note I get on a lot of these malt's aged in super hot climates. Then I get some super sweet fruity sherry. I get berries and figs and raisins and toffee and chocolate and honey. I could nose this all freaking night. I actually might nose this for an hour and I'm going to leave the glass out over night and come back to it. Taste - It's figs, roasted barely, buttery chocolate batter. Added 2 drops of water and the chocolates and smooth creamy notes come out. So many dark fruits here. It's raisins, figs, and god this high heat barley sweetness, it's amazing. This is a bottle I'll cry over when it's gone as I'll never get another or at least I doubt I will see one to buy. 4.75 out of 5. This is truly special. I had this not long ago next to the Vinho Barrique which won awards and myself and a friend we both firmly thought we were drinking a solid 100 dollar a bottle more expensive bottle and while this is more like 200 retail more, lets ignore prices here. It was THAT much better than the award winning Vinho Barrique. This is why I drink whisky.

A clear stand out in our tasting at Kavalan. On the nose sweet figs, raisins, cherry cordials, toffee and in the background a dusty vintage bookshelf which took me by complete surprise. This is a NAS Taiwan whisky, and it has a note I have smelled before in a 21 year old Glendronach. Arrival is soft, with a rounded sweetness that could only come from a stunner of a Moscatel Sherry cask. Finish was languid, sweet and warm. Fantastic!

Cask MO110321007A, aged 8 Years 6 Months. Very rich, dense, and floral. Nose: Plums, Fig Jam, Honey, Violets, Dark Chocolate Brownies, Christmas Cakes, Marzipan Palate: Raisins, Mangoes, Honey, Fig Jam, Dark Chocolate, Toffee, Strawberries, Cotton Candy, Grapefruits, Prunes, Ginger, Christmas Cakes Finish: Toffee, Prunes, Mocha, Dark Chocolate, Honey, Salted Butterscotch, Watermelons, Mocha, Gingerbread

Cask No. MO110321017A 57.1 ABV Neat: Thick, syrupy, rich, intense, figs, nuts. With a teaspoon of water: Molasses, honey, baking spices, nuts, figs, prunes, licorice, graham crackers, cherries, apricot, sultanas, malt, vanilla, caramel, on nose and viscous, oily, rich palate, and long finish.