Style: Sweet and Spritely
Nose:
Delicate orange flower infused with a rich thread of mint candy. A rather tight and raw aroma which needs a bit of time to unlock. Once it opens up, malty, syrupy core, batter cupcake. A touch of acid pop, some coconut shreds. Sweet with an oily texture.
Palate:
On the palate, wow, you can immediately feel the youthfulness of the dram, but not very new make-y. Orange drop with spirit menthol on the first wave. Spice at searing intensity. A mix of white flower and creamy malt cake. Nice sweetness. Oak emerges overtime giving a visible bitterness. Slight saltiness lingers till the end.
Finish:
White oak with a jolt of dry barley husk. Malty notes extend for a short while. Subtle salted caramel popcorn and crystallized fruits to finish.
Thoughts:
I remember Ian talks about how the quality of Kavalan Bourbon casks peaked at 2.5 years and will slowly fall off after that. Personally it feels there is an asymmetry of the (im)maturity of the spirit and the amount of oakiness injected into the whisky. Maybe a few months more it will be overoaked while the spirit remains at a relatively young phase… On the other hand, you can see the multiple facets of sweetness displayed here in the spirit – Floral, fruity, confectioneries, sweet and creamy. Close to a tick.
[57.1% • 2010 Distilled • Original Bottling • Single Cask • Cask Strength • Non Coloured • Non Chill Filtered • 2 of 199 Bottles • No Age Statement • x+]
-Esmond
WhiskNick 