My first Taiwanese whiskey. I came in expecting it to be similar to Japanese whiskey, and while there are similarities, this one offers some distinct features. It's important to note that this is bottled at 43% and not the 40% the website suggests. Nose: Sweet. Vanilla, honey, toffee. Some unripe banana and mango. A bit of pineapple. Some of the syrupy and brown sugar notes I've gotten from the Nikka Coffee Malt, and even moreso in the Coffee Grain. Sandalwood and some macadamia nut, rounded out with some green, grassy, and woody notes. Promising start. Palate: Banana ripe off the bat, and this time it's ripe. This is accompanied by coconut, pineapple, and mango. It's a tropical fruit bowl. Chewy caramel and maybe just a hint of fudge. Some almond and macadamia. Toffee, vanilla, and honey. Carries many of the qualities from the nose, but is a tad riper, adds some darker sweet notes, and a bit of cinnamon and baking spice. Oak to boot. Solid. Finish: Getting another hit of pineapple, mango, and coconut, and then it's all cinnamon, baking spice, and oak. A nice warming sensation carries this one to a medium-length finish. Not quite up to par with the nose or palate, but still enjoyable. I suspect the 3% ABV bump plays a significant role here. Verdict? Taiwanese makes a good first impression. I know that Kavalan isn't the only native distillery, but to say it produces more than half of Taiwan's unique offerings would be an understatement. Undoubtedly, my next Taiwanese whiskey will be a Kavalan product, and considering that this seems to be their base offering, I'm excited to see what else the distillery has to offer. 4 stars flat for this one. The nose draws some significant similarities to Nikka's Coffee offerings, but the palate really sets this one apart and gives me a baseline for an exciting new genre of whiskey. Looking forward to my next Kavalan offering.