World whisky time again and today I look at the Kavalan Concertmaster Port cask finish single malt whisky. Kavalan whisky is no stranger to the blog. I love their releases, and the Solist Ex-Bourbon Cask whisky will probably make my ’Best 10 whiskies to drink before you die’ list.
Kavalan has adopted a musical theme for naming its whisky. The range includes the King Car Conductor, the Podium and the Solist whisky series.
The Kavalan Concertmaster single malt whisky comes from Taiwan where the subtropical climate speeds up the maturation a bit more, compared to Scotland or Ireland. The Kavalan whisky series has no age statements due to this.
The Concertmaster whisky is first aged in American oak and then finished in several different varieties of Port barrels, including Ruby port, Tawny port and Vintage port from Portugal.
But this begs the question: What is Port and what is the difference between the Ruby, Tawny and Vintage port?
Also Read: Maraska ABC Whisky
Port wine is a Portuguese fortified wine produced exclusively in the Douro Valley in the northern provinces of Portugal. It is typically a sweet, red wine, often served as a dessert wine or aperitif. It also comes in dry, semi-dry, and white varieties.
Ruby port is the least expensive and most extensively produced type of port. Ruby port is younger, has spent less time in the cask and has retained more of its natural colour, and sweet, fruity characteristics from the grapes.
Tawny ports are wines usually made from red grapes that are aged in wooden barrels exposing them to gradual oxidation and evaporation. Tawny port has aged longer in the cask, sometimes as long as 20 years. As it matures, more of its colour fades to a brownish, tawny colour. Also, the flavours are less sweet, and it has a deeper, more complex characteristics.
Vintage port is a port that is made of blended grapes, usually from various vineyards, which are all from the same vintage year. These ports typically spend about 6 months in oak and then go unfiltered into a bottle for further ageing for at least another 20 years or more!
ABV: 40%
COLOUR: Rich gold with hints of red.
NOSE: It’s best feature. It is rich, sweet, complex with ripe cherries, liquorice, berry sweetness, dark chocolate and condensed milk. It promises much.
PALATE: Medium body with very little of the sweetness promised by the nose. Spicy oak, pepper, citrus, malt, with only faint hints of fruity sweetness. Water softens the spices.
FINISH: Pepper spice and dry oak
RATING: VERY GOOD
This Concertmaster Port cask finish single malt is my least favourite of all the Kavalan whiskies I have tried. I found the spiciness overwhelming. John, however, loved it. He loved the peppery bite and finished my glass too. Most weeks, our individual views on a whisky are relatively similar. This week it was not. Don’t get me wrong; this is not a bad whisky at all.
But for my palate that like sweet things, this was just to peppery. If you love peppery, spicy whisky, then this is perfect for you. If you prefer sweeter drams, instead try the Solist range that I found sweeter and softer. The Kavalan Concertmaster retails for around R1100 in SA and is readily available.
Also Read: Koval Single Barrel Bourbon
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