A Luxurious Sherried Whisky That Will Make You Swoon
Kavalan Solist “Sherry Cask – Artisanal Group Exclusive” Single Malt Whisky (750ml) ($209.99)
“Little in the world compares to this” – David Othenin-Girard, K&L SoCal Spirits Buyer
Back in November we received an exclusive Sherry Cask from the Taiwanese distillery Kavalan. As was expected, this rare “Solist” bottling sold out in a flash with requests for more still pouring in nine months later. As luck would have it, a second sister cask was produced and we were able to get our hands on a small parcel. While its profile is more traditionally Kavalan-esque than our exclusive cask, it is guaranteed to delight collectors of this coveted brand. Complex, highly evolved, and with the tropical notes that are a hallmark of Kavalan, it is a deep and powerful whisky that is well worth every penny. Kavalan became the next great thing for those in-the-know whisky fans when they notched the titles of World Whisky of the Year and World’s Best Single Malt Whisky. Of their many offerings, the most special are their single-barrel cask strength offerings (known in the rest of the world as Solist Casks). There are precious few bottles available, so this second offering is destined to sell out even more quickly than the first. This is a truly unique opportunity you don’t want to miss.
California was allocated two casks of Kavalan Sherry in 2017. One was purchased by K&L Wine Merchants and sold out at record speed. The other was purchased and bottled exclusively for Kavalan’s distributor The Artisanal Group of Southern California, a division of Southern Glazer Wine & Spirits. They covet this special rare cask and only offer it in allocated quantities to their very best accounts, parceling the cask out bottle by bottle when a deserving recipient emerges. It’s extreme rarity and scarcity that give this product some real cache, but, in the end, they eventually need to sell what they’ve got. That’s where we come in. No one in California has sold more Kavalan than K&L, so when we asked the distributor what they planned to do with the rest of this cask, they didn’t hesitate to offer the rest to us. There’s absolutely no reason this should still be available. It arrived in CA last November, the sister cask to our exceptional offering. It was not easy choosing between the two and, in fact, this particular cask is slightly more in line with the more classic Kavalan Solist Sherry than the ultra-supple barrel we bought. That means you’re going to get all the same intensity and power as the cask we sold last November, but with more structure and complexity. It should be banned at blind tastings, as it’s a ringer every time. There’s no question that those who can afford it should be stocking up on this for the future.
David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: July 25, 2018
This is the sister cask to our wildly popular single-cask selection from last November. It wasn’t easy choosing between the two and ultimately I’m still not sure which cask is better. The one we got had a certain suppleness that is not typical with these powerful Kavalan, so while it was very intense it lacked some of the punch of this special cask. Here we’re right in line with the most classic Kavalans — namely an inky, dense core of wild sherry aromatics. Immediately showing bold cocoa, dense coffee, dried damson plum, black fruit syrup, and fresh-cut hardwood. Powerful jammy entry pointed by exotic spice, pepper, dark chocolate, overripe fruit, and cigar box. Deep and penetrating on the palate with a feeling of complexity that gets you worried that it might never let you go. This stunning interplay between savory and sweet flavors is the true calling card of the wonderful Kavalan Solist Sherry Cask. Another stupendous offering from that special distillery in Taiwan. Not totally clear how they do what they do, but very little in the world compares to this.
