Full Review

Kavalan
Buy It Now

Kavalan
Classic Single Malt Whisky

Category: Taiwanese Whisky

Date Tasted:
Country: Taiwan
Alcohol: 40%
92 Points
Gold Medal
Exceptional
$92

Kavalan
Classic Single Malt Whisky

Category: Taiwanese Whisky

Date Tasted:
Country: Taiwan
Alcohol: 40%
Gold color. Aromas and flavors of salted caramel, spiced plum and orange oil, apricot, honey, and and leather with a velvety, crisp, dry medium body and a warming, interesting, medium-length finish with accents of spiced black plum, red currants and apricot, orange blossom honey, and baking spices. Incredibly well crafted with balanced flavors and aromas of grain and barrel.

Tasting Info

Spirits Glass Style: Crisp & Lively
Aroma Aroma: salted caramel, spiced plum and orange oil, apricot, honey, and and leather
Taste Flavor: Same as aromas with accents of spiced black plum, red currants and apricot, orange blossom honey, and baking spices
Smoothness Smoothness: Warming
Enjoy Enjoy: in cocktails, neat and on the rocks
Cocktail Cocktails: Whiskey Sour, Whiskey Smash
Bottom Line Bottom Line: Incredibly well crafted with balanced flavors and aromas of grain and barrel.
Expand Collapse

The Producer

Kavalan Distillery

The Producer
326, Section 2, Yuan-shan Road
Yuan-Shan, Yilan 26444
Taiwan
886 -39229000
Expand Collapse

Their Portfolio

88 • Kavalan Classic Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $92.99.
93 • Kavalan Concertmaster Port Cask Finish Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $99.99.
93 • Kavalan Concertmaster Sherry Cask Finish Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $99.99.
90 • Kavalan Distillery Select No.1 Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $59.99.
95 • Kavalan Distillery Select No. 2 Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $59.99.
93 • Kavalan Triple Sherry Cask Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $119.99.
94 • Kavalan Podium Single Malt Whisky 46% (Taiwan) $128.99.
97 • Kavalan Solist Ex-Bourbon Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 57.1% (Taiwan) $159.99.
90 • Kavalan Solist Oloroso Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 59.4% (Taiwan) $224.99.
95 • Kavalan Solist Fino Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 57.1% (Taiwan) $469.99.
96 • Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 55.6% (Taiwan) $257.99.
96 • Kavalan Distillery Reserve Peated Malt Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 54% (Taiwan) $89.99.
95 • Kavalan Distillery Reserve Rum Cask Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 55.6% (Taiwan) $89.99.
89 • Kavalan Solist Madeira Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 57.1% (Taiwan) $299.99.
92 • Kavalan Solist Brandy Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 57.8% (Taiwan) $299.99.
89 • Kavalan Solist Port Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 56.3% (Taiwan) $299.99.
95 • Kavalan Solist Amontillado Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 55.6% (Taiwan) $599.99.
95 • Kavalan Solist Manzanilla Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 58.6% (Taiwan) $599.99.
92 • Kavalan Solist PX Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 57.1% (Taiwan) $699.99.
96 • Kavalan Solist Moscatel Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 57.1% (Taiwan) $599.99.
91 • Kavalan Classic Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $92.00.
90 • Kavalan Concertmaster Port Cask Finish Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $99.00.
93 • Kavalan Concertmaster Sherry Cask Finish Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $99.00.
92 • Kavalan Concertmaster Vinho Barrique Finish Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $99.00.
91 • Kavalan Distillery Select No.1 Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $59.00.
93 • Kavalan Distillery Select No. 2 Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $59.00.
93 • Kavalan Triple Sherry Cask Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $119.00.
92 • Kavalan Podium Single Malt Whisky 46% (Taiwan) $102.00.
94 • Kavalan Solist Ex-Bourbon Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 54.8% (Taiwan) $195.00.
95 • Kavalan Solist Oloroso Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 53.2% (Taiwan) $214.00.
93 • Kavalan Solist Fino Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 57.1% (Taiwan) $469.00.
92 • Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 54.8% (Taiwan) $214.00.
92 • Kavalan Distillery Reserve Peated Malt Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 51.6% (Taiwan) $89.00.
94 • Kavalan Distillery Reserve Madeira Cask Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 57.8% (Taiwan) $89.00.
96 • Kavalan Solist Brandy Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 57.1% (Taiwan) $214.00.
93 • Kavalan Solist Port Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 57.1% (Taiwan) $214.00.
95 • Kavalan Solist Amontillado Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 57.1% (Taiwan) $599.00.
95 • Kavalan Solist Manzanilla Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 57.8% (Taiwan) $599.00.
94 • Kavalan Solist PX Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 55.6% (Taiwan) $699.00.
95 • Kavalan Solist Moscatel Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 53.2% (Taiwan) $599.00.
92 • Kavalan Classic Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $92.00.
90 • Kavalan Concertmaster Port Cask Finish Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $99.00.
92 • Kavalan Concertmaster Sherry Cask Finish Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $99.00.
91 • Kavalan Concertmaster Vinho Barrique Finish Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $99.00.
90 • Kavalan Distillery Select No.1 Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $59.00.
94 • Kavalan Distillery Select No.2 Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $59.00.
93 • Kavalan Triple Sherry Cask Single Malt Whisky 43% (Taiwan) $99.00.
90 • Kavalan Wine Oak Single Malt Whisky 43% (Taiwan) $102.00.
90 • Kavalan Port Oak Single Malt Whisky 43% (Taiwan) $102.00.
92 • Kavalan Podium Single Malt Whisky 46% (Taiwan) $102.00.
91 • Kavalan Master’s Select Reserve No.1 Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $112.00.
90 • Kavalan Master’s Select Reserve No.2 Single Malt Whisky 40% (Taiwan) $112.00.
93 • Kavalan Solist Ex-Bourbon Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 54% (Taiwan) $195.00.
95 • Kavalan Solist Oloroso Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 57.1% (Taiwan) $214.00.
97 • Kavalan Solist Fino Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 57.8% (Taiwan) $469.00.
94 • Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 58.6% (Taiwan) $214.00.
93 • Kavalan Distillery Reserve Peated Malt Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 50.8% (Taiwan) $89.00.
95 • Kavalan Distillery Reserve Madeira Cask Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 58.6% (Taiwan) $89.00.
95 • Kavalan Solist Brandy Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 57.1% (Taiwan) $214.00.
93 • Kavalan Solist Port Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 59.4% (Taiwan) $214.00.
96 • Kavalan Solist Amontillado Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 56.3% (Taiwan) $599.00.
96 • Kavalan Solist Manzanilla Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 57.8% (Taiwan) $599.00.
95 • Kavalan Solist PX Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 55.6% (Taiwan) $699.00.
94 • Kavalan Solist Moscatel Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky 53.2% (Taiwan) $599.00.
88 • King Car Conductor Single Malt Whisky 46% (Taiwan) $128.99.
95 • King Car Conductor Single Malt Whisky 46% (Taiwan) $102.00.
92 • King Car Conductor Single Malt Whisky 46% (Taiwan) $102.00.
Expand Collapse

Taiwanese Whisky

Spirits Glass Glencairn Canadian Amber.jpg
Serve in a Glencairn Ganadian Whisky Glass
About
Taiwanese Whisky
Remarkably constructed in only 9 months in 2015, the Kavalan distillery is Taiwan's first whisky distillery. Despite their relative youth, the malt whiskies made at Kavalan are amazingly flavorful, complex, world-class spirits—modeled after Scottish single malts—that are a product of ingenuity, Scottish tradition and ingredients, and the unique tropical Taiwanese climate that accelerates the aging process.

Kavalan Classic Single Malt Whisky rating was calculated by to be 92 points out of 100 on 5/22/2024. Please note that MSRP may have changed since the date of our review.