Kavalan Bourbon Oak Matured is a single malt whiskey from Taiwan. As the name suggests, it is aged in American white oak barrels that have previously contained bourbon. In contrast to the many heavy sherry-aged whiskeys from Kavalan, here you get a nice insight into a more “natural” style where the distillate plays the main role. Bottled at 46% alcohol.
Colour: Golden.
Aroma: Freshly baked waffles, vanilla, toasted coconut and tropical fruit.
Tasting notes: Rich and sweet. Fruity notes dance closely with nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla.
Serving suggestions: Should be enjoyed neat, possibly with a drop of water.
Kavalan burst onto the whiskey scene with its first whiskey in 2008. In no time the distillery in Taiwan has become world famous. The tropical climate with the towering temperatures in the warehouses (easily 42 degrees!) means that the whiskey matures quickly and acquires the taste, depth and complexity of the much older whiskey. The “angel’s share” – the amount of whiskey that evaporates per year – is almost never below 10-12% (versus around 3% in Scotland) and in some years can reach 15%!
Since Taiwan is a country completely without a whiskey tradition, Kavalan can see himself free from having to weave a nostalgic narrative about old craftsmanship and tradition. On the contrary, they are refreshingly proud of being a state-of-the-art, industrial distillery. In fact, after an expansion in 2016, it is one of the world’s 10 largest whiskey distilleries! And the whiskey is superb. In particular, Kavalan is known for its sherry bombs, heavy and full-bodied whiskey with oceans of flavour, power and depth.
