Kavalan Solist Port Single Cask Strength

Mouth drying, then mouth watering! Better with water, smells and tastes like berries.

** Disclaimer: This review is what I would consider a “Quick Hit”- meaning I won’t have my usual in-depth notes that I usually like to take. The reason: this sample was poured at Whiskyfest DC on 4/17/18. All of these reviews will not be scored and I am actively looking to try them again at some point to do them more justice. This was the second Kavalan I tried at the festival and it had some serious, yet weird, flavors going on. Heavy raisins and grape sweetness and it bounced around from dry to oily all during the same sample. It left a lingering oak note on the tongue and that was the only negative aspect I recall. I’d be interested in trying it again to give it another go. I have a feeling the Soloist series is the highlights from Kavalan. Maybe I’ll divert some scotch funds over to these bottles, as I think they’d make a great addition to my collection of Asian whisky. Cheers.

Review #9 of 12 from DC Whiskyfest 2018. I was only able to do 12 because I came down with something that afternoon that really messed with my head and stomach. I should have just stayed in the hotel room but I didn’t pay $350 for VIP tickets to sample my pillow! No scores for anything sampled as I don’t think it would be fair. Sweet with port notes, nice but quite subtle on the nose. Insta-dry palate! Sucked all the moisture out of my mouth. Oak, port, then magically became mouthwatering. Good but not great especially for the price.

57.8% ABV Cask #0090714056A | Bottle #030/184 Nose - (w/o water) Sharp syrupy sweet dried prunes/figs, dark chocolate, strawberry preserves, oaked cider (w/ water) Tiny bit less cloyingly sweet but otherwise similar. Taste - (w/o water) Drying, yet syrupy sweet, dark dried prunes, white pepper heat, cloves & cinnamon (w/ water) Less syrupy, more balanced dark berry/stone fruit preserves, heat is greatly reduced. Finish - (w/o water) Long lingering dark dried stone fruit syrupy sweet, light spice bitterness, mouth drying (w/ water) Still sweet but less viscous, less burn, less bitter, tiny hint of sour berry at the end. Score - 83/100 Final Thoughts - This one was just overall cloyingly sweet. It felt like it was dominated by a thick dried dark stone fruit syrupy sweetness like they used a wet port cask or something. It was quite one dimensional and was just purely sweet until the addition of a tiny bit of water which in this case greatly helps it out. Sadly the tropical/floral notes I get in their other offerings is completely hidden by the port and therefore makes this quite one dimensional in a bad way. I think based on what barrel/bottle you get, you'll need to add a tiny bit of water to get it to taste not like a super strong port. On another note, at the very very end of the finish, a tiny bit of dark chocolate notes do appear making it feel like a dark chocolate dipped dried dark stone fruits. This definitely feels like a dessert dram.