I was in Taiwan about 3 weeks ago. Went to the Kavalan tasting room in Taipei… twice. Absolutely one of the greatest whisky experiences of my life. They had 3 different Bordeaux wine single cask in the building that they poured directly from the cask. I had all the soloists… absolutely the greatest whisky in the world coming from almost zero experience with their whisky previously. My favorite was the Kavalan Palo Cortado Sherry Cask. Long live the King Kavalan!
100 % (though I haven't tried that one), if you gather Kavalan, The Lakes & Millstone, you got probably the best sherried malts available these days imho too (let alone some Family Casks from who you know), and this puts (modern) The Macallan to shame every time...We also have some great ones every now & then here in France, at a certain extent (you should try the 2023 Armorik 15 yo, for instance...its not a sherry bomb, but an old school type of single malt, close to some old lightly peated Bunnas, to put a long story short, quite complex stuff), Cheers !
@@topshelfdustin3060 For the record, Heavenly Spirits (located in Lakeville, Massachuchets) is their US distributor/importer, and they also import the excellent family owned Armagnac brand called Dartigalongue...while Demaison Spirits (NY) distributes other excellent whiskies from France as well, for instance TOS Distillery producing the "Artesia" single malt I'm a fan of...
@@GregsWhiskyGuide Oh nice, yeah Dartigalongue is about as common over here as glenlivet :) Only slightly joking, but yeah I've got 4-5 bottles from them. As for Armorik we have 3 NAS expressions available locally, sadly no 15 year.
@@topshelfdustin3060 Lol Dustin...Good for you ! For the Armorik 15 yo its a relatively recent & limited release (1500 b. usually) & I recently had the chance to get me for my birthday the 2022 version of it, but the limited distillery club version, a CS version at 59,1 %, the kind probably more to your liking, abv wise (150 bottles only, they still have some at the distillery online shop, but you have to subscribe to the club first, and good news it's free !). I've just opened it so will review it later on but it s a good one.
Some smaller shop over in europe. I can't lie, I must frequent 20-30 shops a day just scanning for deals. I know whiskyworld and exchange still have bottles time to time, but I think this was some random hole in the wall.
I can get these for around €100 which is incredible, compared to some other whiskies in the same range. Yet, I still see very few people buying them (?)
@@DrumondArt you’re absolutely correct. Oh, sometimes we will buy their shared whiskeys just to get some variety. But every time we go back to Kavalan, we question why we ever left.
This stuff is amazing for sure! As for the casks Kavalan uses, I have a theory: I own some old-school sherry matured scotch, casked in the 60ies and 70ies and the Kavalan Sherry (Oloroso) Solist has those same old-school sherry notes, that in scotch, you only get from the paxarette casks pre 1989. So my theory is, that Kavalan doesn't have access to any better (magical) casks than the rest of the industry does, but they have a different legal situation in regards to what casks they're allowed to use.- I think in addition to european oak, Kavalan uses paxarette in their sherry casks to some degree. What do you guys think about that?
@@tirmo8110 I miss the old paxarette Macallan’s. ☹️ interesting theory. I would love to know for sure… I would like to take a look at your collection sometime. Are you on whiskey base?
Possible for sure on the paxarette but I never recall that on so many styles of sherry. Didn't it also impart color? And you don't see that on say the fino. My guess is more because they're small and doing single casks, they're able to buy different sources of true high end sherry casks and it doesn't really suck the industry dry. Macallan needs THOUSANDS of barrels. Kavalan needs a few hundered. Meanwhile Kavalan doesn't need super consistency because of the single cask nature. So again they can buy just 1 barrel when/if its' available and use it. More on this later, but in a future review. But American distilleries are starting to get better quality casks too than the core/standard scotch distilleries. And I think once again it's due to being able to buy a few barrels at a time. Now...to your point...I'd guess there's no rule against paxarette either so you could be completely right with that too. BTW you sure they're using european oak? Keep in mind the premium sherry casks of today are almost all exclusively american oak.
@@topshelfdustin3060 Yeah, they don't necessarely use paxarette on all of their Sherry-casks if on any at all. Paxarette for sure does impart colour into the whisky, but I'd assume, that for the exemplary Fino-Solist they'd use Fino-paxarette which would impart a paler colour into the whisky. But however that may be, as far as I understand it, when people talk about old-school Sherry-flavours/bottlings, I think they typically refer to flavours found in casks treated with Oloroso-paxarette because that was the most commonly used type of sherry cask back then I think. And I'm positive that's the only reference I have in my collection as for old-school bottlings. So I can't speak on wether or not Kavalans other Sherry-offerings seem to be matured in paxarette casks, but only the Sherry (Oloroso) Solist. Maybe you're absolutely spot on about Kavalan being able to access casks of a better quality than most producers, due to low quantities. It sure seems to me, that Kavalans Oloroso-Sherry does taste different than any statswise comparable Scotch on the market today or at least that I've tried so far. And if they manage to make their Sherry (Oloroso) Solist taste like old-school scotch by the use of Sherry-casks that conform with current scotch whisky association regulations, that would be no small achievement. I can't verify that Kavalan is using european oak for their Sherry-/ Oloroso-casks. But it seems to me that the Sherry (Oloroso) Solist I own was matured in such. That's, together with the paxarette flavours, part of my accosiation to my old-school bottlings. - It's european oak (transport) Sherry-casks treated with Oloroso-paxarette. I'm looking forward to your future review regarding distilleries being able to purchase better quality casks due to smaller productions. Enjoyed chatting with you guys.
@@topshelfwhisky Yes, I have my collection on whiskybase. My profile is Tirmo. As for Macallan, I've taken the chance to get myself a Full Proof 10 bottled in the 80ies through scotchwhiskyauctions last year. A once in a lifetime-purchase and it was worth it! 🤪
There's a 14 year single that's supposed to be after the week of peat run on my radar. That one hadn't made the list yet. But I'll consider it if it's not 100+.
@@Kingsofwhiskey if you love the oaky quality and dirty notes from them, it's there thing and nothing wrong with loving that. But kavalan is old school sherry, bodega casks that modern distilleries don't get.
I was in Taiwan about 3 weeks ago. Went to the Kavalan tasting room in Taipei… twice. Absolutely one of the greatest whisky experiences of my life. They had 3 different Bordeaux wine single cask in the building that they poured directly from the cask. I had all the soloists… absolutely the greatest whisky in the world coming from almost zero experience with their whisky previously. My favorite was the Kavalan Palo Cortado Sherry Cask.
Long live the King Kavalan!
Nice, boys! Agreed, they are bold and straight to point, no messing around.
@@krishnar3493 if it was a boxing match, it would be Hagler versus Hearns.
recently sampled a PX and Madeira a friend got in Taiwan. Absolutely wonderful.
The PX really opens up with some time in the glass.
Love Kavalan, still working on an 8 year Solist Truth Malters single cask Sherry. The 13 year Virgin Oak is still my favorite Kavalan
The VO was impressive. I believe I sampled a 14 year. Hopefully we can bring one to the channel soon.
100 % (though I haven't tried that one), if you gather Kavalan, The Lakes & Millstone, you got probably the best sherried malts available these days imho too (let alone some Family Casks from who you know), and this puts (modern) The Macallan to shame every time...We also have some great ones every now & then here in France, at a certain extent (you should try the 2023 Armorik 15 yo, for instance...its not a sherry bomb, but an old school type of single malt, close to some old lightly peated Bunnas, to put a long story short, quite complex stuff), Cheers !
I'll have to keep an eye out for Armorik, I know I've seen that name a few places but never thought to look deeper.
@@topshelfdustin3060 For the record, Heavenly Spirits (located in Lakeville, Massachuchets) is their US distributor/importer, and they also import the excellent family owned Armagnac brand called Dartigalongue...while Demaison Spirits (NY) distributes other excellent whiskies from France as well, for instance TOS Distillery producing the "Artesia" single malt I'm a fan of...
@@GregsWhiskyGuide Oh nice, yeah Dartigalongue is about as common over here as glenlivet :) Only slightly joking, but yeah I've got 4-5 bottles from them. As for Armorik we have 3 NAS expressions available locally, sadly no 15 year.
@@topshelfdustin3060 Lol Dustin...Good for you ! For the Armorik 15 yo its a relatively recent & limited release (1500 b. usually) & I recently had the chance to get me for my birthday the 2022 version of it, but the limited distillery club version, a CS version at 59,1 %, the kind probably more to your liking, abv wise (150 bottles only, they still have some at the distillery online shop, but you have to subscribe to the club first, and good news it's free !). I've just opened it so will review it later on but it s a good one.
@@GregsWhiskyGuide oh nice, sadly I suspect shipping would be impossible or not so advantageous.
Hate to ask, but where are you getting these? I've had a couple different ones over the years, but they have dried up.
Some smaller shop over in europe. I can't lie, I must frequent 20-30 shops a day just scanning for deals. I know whiskyworld and exchange still have bottles time to time, but I think this was some random hole in the wall.
I can get these for around €100 which is incredible, compared to some other whiskies in the same range. Yet, I still see very few people buying them (?)
@@DrumondArt you’re absolutely correct. Oh, sometimes we will buy their shared whiskeys just to get some variety. But every time we go back to Kavalan, we question why we ever left.
Where do you recommend purchasing them? I’ll buy a few.
This stuff is amazing for sure! As for the casks Kavalan uses, I have a theory: I own some old-school sherry matured scotch, casked in the 60ies and 70ies and the Kavalan Sherry (Oloroso) Solist has those same old-school sherry notes, that in scotch, you only get from the paxarette casks pre 1989. So my theory is, that Kavalan doesn't have access to any better (magical) casks than the rest of the industry does, but they have a different legal situation in regards to what casks they're allowed to use.- I think in addition to european oak, Kavalan uses paxarette in their sherry casks to some degree. What do you guys think about that?
@@tirmo8110 I miss the old paxarette Macallan’s. ☹️ interesting theory. I would love to know for sure… I would like to take a look at your collection sometime. Are you on whiskey base?
@@topshelfwhisky Yes, I am. My username is Tirmo.
Possible for sure on the paxarette but I never recall that on so many styles of sherry. Didn't it also impart color? And you don't see that on say the fino. My guess is more because they're small and doing single casks, they're able to buy different sources of true high end sherry casks and it doesn't really suck the industry dry. Macallan needs THOUSANDS of barrels. Kavalan needs a few hundered. Meanwhile Kavalan doesn't need super consistency because of the single cask nature. So again they can buy just 1 barrel when/if its' available and use it.
More on this later, but in a future review. But American distilleries are starting to get better quality casks too than the core/standard scotch distilleries. And I think once again it's due to being able to buy a few barrels at a time.
Now...to your point...I'd guess there's no rule against paxarette either so you could be completely right with that too.
BTW you sure they're using european oak? Keep in mind the premium sherry casks of today are almost all exclusively american oak.
@@topshelfdustin3060 Yeah, they don't necessarely use paxarette on all of their Sherry-casks if on any at all. Paxarette for sure does impart colour into the whisky, but I'd assume, that for the exemplary Fino-Solist they'd use Fino-paxarette which would impart a paler colour into the whisky. But however that may be, as far as I understand it, when people talk about old-school Sherry-flavours/bottlings, I think they typically refer to flavours found in casks treated with Oloroso-paxarette because that was the most commonly used type of sherry cask back then I think. And I'm positive that's the only reference I have in my collection as for old-school bottlings. So I can't speak on wether or not Kavalans other Sherry-offerings seem to be matured in paxarette casks, but only the Sherry (Oloroso) Solist.
Maybe you're absolutely spot on about Kavalan being able to access casks of a better quality than most producers, due to low quantities. It sure seems to me, that Kavalans Oloroso-Sherry does taste different than any statswise comparable Scotch on the market today or at least that I've tried so far. And if they manage to make their Sherry (Oloroso) Solist taste like old-school scotch by the use of Sherry-casks that conform with current scotch whisky association regulations, that would be no small achievement.
I can't verify that Kavalan is using european oak for their Sherry-/ Oloroso-casks. But it seems to me that the Sherry (Oloroso) Solist I own was matured in such. That's, together with the paxarette flavours, part of my accosiation to my old-school bottlings. - It's european oak (transport) Sherry-casks treated with Oloroso-paxarette.
I'm looking forward to your future review regarding distilleries being able to purchase better quality casks due to smaller productions.
Enjoyed chatting with you guys.
@@topshelfwhisky Yes, I have my collection on whiskybase. My profile is Tirmo. As for Macallan, I've taken the chance to get myself a Full Proof 10 bottled in the 80ies through scotchwhiskyauctions last year. A once in a lifetime-purchase and it was worth it! 🤪
Unrelated but curious if you guys are gonna snag the new Balv 12 SiB first fill bourbon?
There's a 14 year single that's supposed to be after the week of peat run on my radar. That one hadn't made the list yet. But I'll consider it if it's not 100+.
Anyone know what whiskybase number is this bottle?
Their tricky sometimes. I don’t believe I found this particular bottle on whisky base yet.
K&l has 9y ex bourbon cask for 150$. What your guys take on that? Doesn’t seem to be moving as fast as the sherry ones
We don't have the K&L one, but more ex bourbon cask reviews are coming! So far...we're fans
What about edradour?
Might as well be a WNBA team against these guys.
@ lol alright then I won’t be sleeping on them then and grab myself a bottle! I love edradour!
@@Kingsofwhiskey if you love the oaky quality and dirty notes from them, it's there thing and nothing wrong with loving that. But kavalan is old school sherry, bodega casks that modern distilleries don't get.