Kavalan Concertmaster / Port Cask Finish Taiwanese Whisky

I have tried the Kavalan Concertmaster before, a bottling from 2009, but now got the opportunity to try a 2015 release. Well, let’s see if this one, which is a Portuguese port cask finished whisky, does better than its predecessor. The nose is very sweet on all kinds of red fruit. Think raspberries, strawberries and red berries, but also banana with candied sugar. The banana becomes quite big, actually. There is also a little herbal side to it, as if from rosemary. But very discreet – which is a good thing. It is pretty light as it rolls over the palate, but seems somewhat nervous. It feels like it is dancing on the palate. Mildly sweet and sour, in fact. Some caramel and banana try to keep the balance, but are having a hard time doing that, I feel. The sourness reminds me of gooseberry, but unfortunately it turns a bit astringent towards the end. The finish, which is longer than I expected, turns winey I’m afraid. This means it is a lot less pleasant at the death. No, this is not really my kind of dram. I have tried much better Kavalan (and I do not mean the wonderful single casks). I can imagine this whisky going well with dessert, but it is not a top notch whisky in my book.

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