Kavalan Solist ex-Bourbon Cask KavaFAN pick

Thanks to /u/Throzen[+69] for pouring me this dram

Upon joining the KavaFAN group, you’re given the opportunity to purchase Kavalan Solist ex-Bourbon Cask KavaFAN pick. Simple idea: This is a single cask, chosen by the group, from an ex-bourbon cask.

Someone, presumably, went to Taiwan and tested out different casks and tried it.

I’ve spoken before on this, but it bears repeating: Finding out who is picking your whisky, and how you personally agree or disagree with their picks, is paramount. All the whisky reviews in the world wouldn’t matter if I, TOModera, like flavours that you, Superfly (your Christian name presumably), don’t, then you’ve learned something.

So how do I, TOModera, get along with the flavours picked by Moon Unit (assuming a generic name for the person who picked it)? Let’s see, shall we?

Price: No Idea

Region: Taiwan

Cask Type: Ex-Bourbon Cask

Cask No B130918082A

Bottle No: 176/182

Abv: 57.8%

Colour: 5Y 7/8

Nose: Floral, caramel, lemon sorbet, dirt

Very floral and quite dirty. Originally my compatriots tried this blind, and I wouldn’t have guessed ex-Bourbon. I’d have guessed a low alcohol Auchentoshan based on the amount of lemon and dirt.

Pretty simple. I keep searching for more, not really getting it.

Taste: Vanilla, oak, olive oil, lemon

Ah, there’s more of the bourbon barrel influence. A good amount of vanilla/oak. More… vanilla… oak. Not much beyond that. Some sweet/earth, some lemon.

Not much going on here. Really acidic and bitter.

Finish: A full day of cutting your lawn worth of dandelions, lemon, cumin, plantains

Holy shit dandelion. Bitter, floral, vegetal… Just constant. Way too much.

Conclusion: Too much dandelion, bitter, and acidity, not enough sweets to balance it out. This was picked out? Not really loving it too much. My least favourite Kavalan and KavaFAN pick so far. It needed more time, or a finish or something else.

Overall I enjoyed some of their other picks a lot more. This needs something else going on. I have a feeling the person who picked this loves that rapini like apertif drink. And I think it becomes tedious after a bit. So keep that in mind.

70/100

World Whisky review #367, Taiwan review #11, Whisky review #1726