Tastes

Confused by the range on this, Get fruit. Get spicy oak. Get sherry notes. But all coming in at different points less normal than most. Will say its complex and I'm finding it tasty. But not an easy one to characterize. I guess I'd say, "go with the experts on this." But hoping additional tastings lead to a more cohesive assessment.

Sweet and smokey. Take the 16, through in chocolate covered candied bacon, then amp up the intensity a bit. A flavor bomb that keeps giving delicious waves of smokey Lag.

A bit closed lips on the nose. But a complex, tight flavor bomb. Lovely dark fruits and sweets followed by sherry then deep smoke and peat. Pleasantly surprised based on so-so reviews.

Orange, honey and marmalade. Silky smooth and packing lots of fruit. Extremely nice dram.

Vanilla and cream brûlée dominate. Sweet and smooth. Hints of cinnamon on long finish. Lovely slightly sweet Speyside.

Would score this a bit higher if not for the price. But no more than a 3 overall, assuming a price of $100, as the finish on this is terribly weak. Nose is light with some notes of spicy oak mainly. Mouth is week. Finish... what finish? They should IMO skip the fancy packaging and put some effort back into the liquid.

Great nose full of marzipan and toasted oak. Taste is complex and layered with sweet cherries, vanilla, currant and cinnamon. But the finish is where this shines. Literally a backdraft in your mouth as the dryness rushes in. Followed by waves or repeat notes each more vibrant than the last. A long intense and complex finish that truly boggles the palette. Intense as all Kavalan bottles are. But also more complex than most everything else. Loving this bottle.

Such a great expression of light peat, smoke and all the sweet and floral notes of a lighter expression. Vanilla and citrus backed by smoky sweetness that lingers long after. Would love a bit more oil on the palette fro mouthfeel. But nose and follow through excel and all together this is an excellent dram worth seeking out.

As hyped, just a wonderful blend of Japanese whiskey ticking off all the right boxes with finesse and elegance. Would love to score much higher but that would likely conflict with the aged statement examples going for big bucks. But if you took this NAS version and added some extra depth and complexity, would absolutely rate it as perfection. As it stands, it's an excellent Japanese NAS bottle at an accessible price so ig thumbs up.

Solid expression for the buck. A lot more fruit than normal Laphroaig. But enough sweetness and smoke to make you know whose behind it. One of my favorite years for Cardeas so far.