Kavalan Oloroso Sherry Oak is a single malt whiskey from Taiwan. As the name suggests, it is aged in casks that previously contained the southern Spanish hot wine, sherry. We don’t know what type of sherry it is, but a good bet is oloroso, which gives notes of dried fruit, nuts and a nice sweetness (although the sherry is typically dry). It is bottled at 46% alcohol.
Colour: Mahogany.
Aroma: Dried fruit, dark chocolate and white pepper.
Tasting notes: Very rich and complex, with notes of cocoa, apricot, nutmeg and almond.
Serving suggestions: Should be enjoyed neat, possibly with a few drops 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.
