1257 Kensington Road NW
1 (403) 283-8000 / atyourservice@kensingtonwinemarket.com
$259.99
Our first-ever store-exclusive cask of Kavalan is a Solist Oloroso Sherry cask, S1705181510, to be specific. It was bottled at 52.4% on July 21st, 2023 after 6 years and two months in cask. We haven't seen much of the Solist Oloroso Sherry expression in recent years, so we asked if they'd consider sending us a few samples so we could bottle our own cask. They did, and one of them stood head and shoulders above the other... so naturally we had to have it!
Hot climate maturation supercharges aging process, and also the angels share. So there are only 205 total bottles. Get em while they're hot!
700 mlAndrew's Tasting Note
Nose: fruity, earthy, and nutty; fresh-picked raspberries, strawberries and blackberries; Marocan marmalade, canteloupe, and guava; polished oak church pews with plush leather knee cushions; cinnamon sticks, ginger root, and licorice sticks; no heat or rough edges.
Palate: gorgeous delivery; fruity, spicy, and toasty; the woody spices and fruits are battling it out for supremacy while the leather, chocolateand tobacco watch from the sidelines; fennel seed, nutmeg, and clove add to the ginger, cinnamon, and licorice found on the nose; more freshly picked berry fruits, but also a dollop of jam too; marmalade and chocolate orange; more soft leather and polished out with some firm Dominican cigar tobacco.
Finish: spicy, fruity, and toasty with a warming coating mouthfeel; more berry fruits, wood spices, and big sherry tones.
Comment: it feels tightly wound, and ready to explode at any moment, which is saying something as it is already rather complex; but no time for that today; it is every bit as good as the sample we tried, and then some; I'd love to see how this stacks up to a twentysomething Speymalt Macallan... blind tasting coming?
Evan's Tasting Note
Nose: A wonderful marriage of tropical fruit from the whisky and sherry notes from the cask the whisky was aged in. Grilled pineapple, fresh, juicy mango, dates, ripe pears, and Werther's Original Caramel Hard Candies - creaminess and all.
Palate: Bold up front with spicy and sweet notes fighting for attention on the tongue before they settle down, shake hands, and become fast friends. Both notes stick around, offering candied ginger and orange peel notes along with more mango and pineapple, candied apple, plus a hint of clove, peppercorns, peppermint candy cane and a dash of nutmeg.
Finish: Warm and rich with ginger, tropical fruit, and Lemon Zinger tea lingering on the palate.
Comments: It took us a while to get our first cask selection from Kavalan, but this pick makes up for the wait!