Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique Single Cask Strength

Nose: Pear, raisin, rose syrup, chocolate (if diluted with water to release this specific note) Palate: Vanilla and Chocolate are profound on the palate, spicy, raw banana Finish: Chocolate milk, creamy, finish is prolonged with a splash of limestone filtered water Food pairing: Chia Te pineapple cake enhances the chocolate milk finish and prolongs its lingering on the palate

This is a little harsh neat but you get rewarded with those sweet tropical flavors. Strangely, water makes this a little bitter but it’s still unique and delicious. 94

This is a bottle kill review—-so, I don’t rate these since I usually use my last ounce for experiments. I figured “what goes well with something rich and raisin-y sweet from port maturation?” What about something really smoky, like an Ardbeg or Lag? Well...I don’t have that readily on hand. Ok...so, what about something rich and vanilla? Like a bit of this with an equal amount of Wild Turkey Longbranch? An American-Taiwanese fusion. So, this is a case where the sums of both are less than the individual components. The richness of the Kavalan was diminished by the vanilla. The strong oak and vanilla was diminished by the port. Became one unholy mess. Tasted like NyQuil combined with bread pudding. I know...don’t ask, but I know.