KAVALAN KING CAR WHISKY ~ TAIWAN

84/100 DISTILLER SCORE

King Car Conductor is a single malt whisky named for the conglomerate that owns the Kavalan distillery in Taiwan. The single malts used come from those aged primarily in refill sherry and some ex-bourbon barrels, vatted together before bottling.

Nose: Very fruity nose, with various tropical fruits – papaya, guava, pineapple, coconut and banana. I could smell the fruit before bringing the glass to my nose! Lemon. Lots of caramel. Some vanilla. 

Palate: More honeyed in the mouth, although still with caramel and vanilla. There is something that reminds me of that classic bourbon barrel char sweetness here. Fruits are less distinct, and seem watered down. Lemon pledge. Getting the wood spices now, cinnamon in particular, and black pepper. 

Finish: Medium. The fruit returns on the finish, but more dried now. A touch nutty. Soft wood spice rounding it out, this is actually a nice fade out.

King Car distillery is located in Yilan County, Taiwan, and the single malt whisky produced there is named after the indigenous people who originally inhabited this northeastern corner of the island: the Kavalan. Although the distillery was only brought on stream in 2005, the warm sub-tropical climate means that the whisky effectively matures more quickly and an impressive range of whiskies are available. This Kavalan Single Malt Whisky, for example was awarded a Gold Medal at the 2011 International Wine & Spirits Competition.