Hmmm...

It looks like we got out of sync.
Reload your page to freshen up and ensure that you get the best experience.

  • Skip to navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Join Distiller

Take your spirits journey to the next level when you create an account. Once you sign in you can...

  • Rate Bottles

  • Add Your Notes

  • Save To My Top Shelf

Create Account

Already have an account? Sign in

Enjoy our full-featured list experience in the
free distiller app

  • Create your own lists
  • Find spirits on the go
  • Easily search thousands of products
  • Follow friends and see what they're drinking
  • Track your collection with unlimited notes and bottle quantities PRO
Download Now No Thanks

Enjoy our full-featured list experience in the
free distiller app

  • Create your own lists
  • Find spirits on the go
  • Easily search thousands of products
  • Follow friends and see what they're drinking
  • Track your collection with unlimited notes and bottle quantities
    PRO

GET IT NOW:

If you want to add an image with your reviews install the app.

GET IT NOW:

Distiller.com uses cookies that are essential for us to operate the website and that are helpful for us to improve the services. By continuing to browse our website, you agree to first-party and third-party cookies being stored on your device. Learn More About Cookies
Search
Distiller Home
  • Search
  • Find People
  • Join Pro
  • Recommend
  • Articles
  • Sign In
  • Register
  • Search
  • Find People
  • About Distiller
  • The Tasting Table
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Jobs
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Home

King Car Conductor Single Malt

Single Malt

Kavalan // Taiwan

Is this your product?

Edit the details

Is this your product?

Edit the details

Product Edit Request

Verified brands can request spirit detail updates like images, product information and descriptions. Please fill out the form below to start the verification process.

Note: Changes to scores and tasting notes will not be accepted.

Note: All the form field are required!

Invalid
Invalid
Invalid
Invalid
By checking this box, I certify that I work for or represent the brand that I am attempting to claim. I understand that a fee may be associated with this request.

Thanks!

We've received your request and will be in touch shortly

  • Details
  • 118 Reviews
    Filter
    Sort
    • Whiskey_Hound

      Reviewed December 2, 2022
      3.75
      3.75 out of 5 stars
      Kavalan Single Malt was my first Taiwanese whisky, and I must say that I enjoyed it. It struck me as a more tropical-tasting Japanese whisky. This King Car is a step up in price and, according to its color, seems to have a greater Sherry oak presence. Let’s check it out. Nose: Honey, toffee, vanilla, and caramel. Honeydew, pineapple, apple, pear, and coconut. A touch of lime and orange. Some green apple jolly rancher. Apricot deep in the background. A pinch of black pepper rounded out by some oak. Palate: A bit hot on the palate. Blackberry, black currant, cranberry, pound cake, raisin, date, and fig. Orange citrus and lime. Pineapple, apple, and pear. Macadamia, cashew, and chestnut. Caramel, toffee, honey, and vanilla. Black pepper, cinnamon, and oak. Finish: Pineapple, apple, pear. Cranberry, raisin, pound cake. Apricot, orange, Vanilla, caramel, toffee. Cinnamon, black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Moderate-long finish, leaning toward the former. This drinks like the Kavalan Single Malt with the Sherry element turned up. It maintains the tropical qualities as well. It’s a bit hot for a 46% whisky, but the flavor profile is very strong. I got this on sale for $90, though I know it runs a bit higher. That’s steep for an NAS whisky and certainly not helping the score. I’ll give this a 3.75, a quarter star below the Single Malt. So far, Kavalan is doing a fine job of representing Taiwanese whisky.
      90.0 USD per Bottle
      • ctbeck11
      • jdriip
      • soonershrink
      Show Comments ( 0 )   for Whiskey_Hound's review of King Car Conductor Single Malt
    • pradoe

      Reviewed June 11, 2022
      3.75
      3.75 out of 5 stars
      Show Comments ( 0 )   for pradoe's review of King Car Conductor Single Malt
    • ContemplativeFox

      Reviewed March 24, 2022
      3.75
      3.75 out of 5 stars
      Rating: 17/23 N: Wow, there's a lot of dusty wood. It's a lot like 15 year old Dickel. I didn't see that coming. There's a tannic layer with a hint of orange peel aggression to it. Faint malty richness and sweetness, but they unfortunately aren't as strong as the kind of mild but definitely present raw chicken meatiness. Some spiciness featuring black pepper, along with some cinnamon and ginger with a numbing clove backing. Maybe a touch of cardamom. This has a lot more aged bourbon notes than I'd expected, yet it somehow seems both a bit over-aged and a bit young. P: There are a lot of tannins here. Lots of wood with spices. A substantial amount of vanilla. Not so much of those tropical fruits that I usually associate with Kavalan, but they are there. Pineapple up front, then orange, passionfruit, papaya, mango, and banana. I really like those tropical fruits and I was a bit worried at first that they wouldn't be there. This tastes like Kavalan discovering that whisk(e)y ages faster in the tropics. It's like they threw whisky in a bourbon barrel, planning to let it age for 20 years, then sampled it after 8 years and were like "oh, no! we need to dump this now!". As I stated, it isn't over-oaked, but it tastes like it's pushing the limit. There is rich maltiness with sweet nectar here, and I'm so grateful for those flavors. The oaky tannins seem to be pushing just a hair into over-oaked territory. Fortunately, there are still those tropical fruit flavors too. I do taste a little of the ethanol, but it's an appropriate amount for the proof. F: Dry wood with some spices that tend toward bitter and numbing. Hints of vanilla. I'd love to say that there's tropical fruits as well, but if anything there are ghosts of tropical fruits. It's not that good of a finish, but those phantom tropical fruits really do help a lot. - Conclusion - Considering the oakiness, Resilient 15 (18/23) comes to mind for comparison. The Resilient is a bit lighter with more minerality, but it also has more apples and just definitely more depth than this does. I would take the Resilient in a heartbeat. The amount of tannic oakiness is pretty similar between the two, but I think that this is just starting to pass the optimum level. I'm inclined to place Kavalan Distillery Select (Batch 1) (16/23) above this. Sure, it clearly hasn't aged as long, but it does a great job of of balancing its tannins with tropical fruits and malt. This is less interesting and unfortunately just doesn't seem to be as well executed. The gap isn't huge, but I think I have a preference. And I can even taste the alcohol here a bit, which isn't a great indicator. Kavalan Concertmaster (16/23) is more complex than this, but it's certainly less full and rich. They're quite different styles. Still, I'm inclined to put this below the Concertmaster. Or maybe it does reach the level of a 16. There's just a bit of an apricot flavor that reminds me of Bushmill's 21. The complexity here does eventually come out, but it it's a bit of a struggle. This also seems decidedly better than Kavalan Podium (15/23). There's no question. Coming back around for some more tastings, this is more complex and balanced than The Distillery sElect. The Distillery Select is more bright an approachable, but this is more mature and refined once that slightly excessive oakiness subsides a bit. Still, this isn't winning by a lot. It's interesting how putting this against the Distillery Select and the Concertmaster really highlights their different styles in a way that showcases the advantages of each. I spent a while thinking that this would be a 15 or a 16, but after all of this side-by-siding, I'm thinking that it's more of a 16 or 17. I'm inclined to place it above the Concertmaster and Distillery Select based on its surprising nuance mixed with richness and maturity. It's still battling with some flaws and Resilient 15 still seems definitely better to me, but this is better than I'd initially thought. While I'm kind of tempted to give this a 17, I think that a 16 is the most reasonable choice here. If I had to rank the three Kavalan's I've given 16s to from best to worst, it would be this, then the Distillery Select, then the Concertmaster. Whatever the situation, there is no doubt that the Resilient is better. A final round of tasting puts this much closer to the Kavalans than to the Resilient. I can still imagine a 17 for this, but it's a little less likely than a 16. Yeah, in a finally round of sipping, I'm not so sure that this beats the other Kavalans (aside from the Podium) anymore. OK, one final side by side. This is more complex than the Distillery Select, but it also has less bold tropical character. This still tastes like it was barely saved from the barrel in time, but I am concluding that it was saved in time. This isn't quite on the same level as ThatBoutique-y Whisky Company's Auchroisk 19 (18/23), but it's not that far away. I think I'll up this to a 17. The Resilient still definitely beats this.
      110.0 USD per Bottle
      • pkingmartin
      • MunsuLight
      • skillerified
      • Whiskey_Hound
      • Ctrexman
      • Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington
      • jdriip
      • ctbeck11
      • soonershrink
      • PBMichiganWolverine
      Show Comments ( 0 )   for ContemplativeFox's review of King Car Conductor Single Malt
    • tmkuecker

      Reviewed January 3, 2022
      4.25
      4.25 out of 5 stars
      When I had this a few years ago, it didn’t impress me. Perhaps more recent batches have gotten better, or perhaps my appreciation & understanding of sherried whiskeys has improved, as I really dig this now. Its light body, yet well-rounded and full flavors make it an intriguing pick at $120. Tropical red fruit with a peppery influence & a hint of roasted almond.
      120.0 USD per Bottle
      Show Comments ( 0 )   for tmkuecker's review of King Car Conductor Single Malt
    • ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

      Remove ads, get access to premium features, and more with
      Distiller Pro

    • Matt-Richardson

      Reviewed May 15, 2021
      4.25
      4.25 out of 5 stars
      Show Comments ( 0 )   for Matt-Richardson's review of King Car Conductor Single Malt
    • DSAH

      Reviewed February 10, 2021
      4.5
      4.5 out of 5 stars
      Show Comments ( 0 )   for DSAH's review of King Car Conductor Single Malt
    • MunchMJ

      Reviewed December 12, 2020
      3.5
      3.5 out of 5 stars
      Show Comments ( 0 )   for MunchMJ's review of King Car Conductor Single Malt
    • galanteh

      Reviewed November 17, 2020
      3.5
      3.5 out of 5 stars
      Show Comments ( 0 )   for galanteh's review of King Car Conductor Single Malt
    • calba

      Reviewed November 11, 2020
      3.25
      3.25 out of 5 stars
      Show Comments ( 0 )   for calba's review of King Car Conductor Single Malt
    • rfekete

      Reviewed November 10, 2020
      3.25
      3.25 out of 5 stars
      Nose: the sherry influence is there, caramel sweetness, candied fruits, red apple, strong baking spices Palate: starts lightly, sweety. After few seconds baking spices emerge which become pungent spices in tge tongue.. Aftertaste: peppery, dry, oaky, moderate length. Nuts. For the subsequent sips it becomes more and more spicy, bitter, dry.
      Maglód
      • lzltzt
      Show Comments ( 0 )   for rfekete's review of King Car Conductor Single Malt
    Results 1-10 of 118 Reviews
    1 2 3 … Next › Last »
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

Remove ads, get access to premium features, and more with
Distiller Pro

You may also like

  • Four Roses 125th Anniversary Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon (2013)

    more floral
  • ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

    Remove ads, get access to premium features, and more with
    Distiller Pro

  • Glenfiddich Age of Discovery Bourbon Cask 19 Year

    less floral
  • Mortlach Rare Old

    more fruity

Remove ads, get access to premium features, and more with
Distiller Pro

Create And Manage Custom Lists In The
Free Distiller App

Add spirit to:

Create And Manage Custom Lists In The
Free Distiller App

  • Create your own custom lists
  • Search spirits on the go
  • Easily search thousands of products
  • Follow friends and see what they're drinking
Get it now
Add spirit to:

Sign up for the Distiller Newsletter

Follow Us
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Download The App
To learn more about responsible consumption, please visit Foundation For Advancing Alcohol Responsibility.
  • Terms Of Service. ™/© 2023 Distiller
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Submit For Review
  • Jobs
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Review this
  • About Distiller
  • The Tasting Table
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Submit For Review
  • Jobs
  • Help
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Service. ™/© 2023 Distiller
Follow Us
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Newsletter
Sign up for the Distiller Newsletter for new bottle & feature updates
To learn more about responsible consumption, please visit Foundation For Advancing Alcohol Responsibility.