Kavalan Concertmaster Port Cask Finish

@murrayaitken, thanks for your nice review. Of 5 Kavalans I have tried, the Concertmaster is the only one I actively dislike. It is a rare Port finish whisky that I will dislike. There has been something off in the samples from two or three different bottles of Concertmaster I have tried. Your descriptor of a tobacco note may be close to what I find that I don't like about it. The disharmony does not appear to be about sulphur. For me the resounding effect is a big, "No! Not another dram of that!".

@Victor Is tobacco a note you generally dislike. It is one I crave for.

@Robert99, yes I would say as a general rule that I do not like the tobacco flavour in whisk(e)y. I think that it is pretty well-established that you and I like some very different things in whisky, my friend. Some of the flavours I like I rarely find, like sweet orange and banana.

And about maple, sometimes oakwood, especially new or second use oakwood, gives off some distinctly maple-tasting flavours. I see maple flavours in some Canadian and in some US whiskies. Did I serve you from my bottle of Woodford Reserve Masters Collection Maple Wood Finish while you were down here? Probably not. You probably would not have wanted any. That one came out in about 2011 and Woodford succeeded making maple-wood cooperage which they used for finishing a bourbon. It is maple-y, very maple-y.

I think that beaver, moose, loon, or goose would make a great special Canadian whisky gimmick, "9.09% BEAVER DRIPPINGS". The meat could be roasted and the drippings included, like Del Maguey Pechuga Mezcal, which incorporates roasting chicken drippings. Very Canadian.

@Victor thanks for the input, although I did find it enjoyable (diluted) I'm leaning towards you more and more on this. Tonight I tried it both neat and diluted (using one large ice square), of course neat gave me the better review. I couldn't place the annoyance I kept getting and after a bit I agreed it was in fact tobacco. I'm going off this somewhat, but do usually enjoy a good Port finish. I'm absolutely dying to break open my Kavalan Soloist Vinho Barrique, to see if it really deserved the best in the world award... time will soon tell!

@murrayaitken, the Kavalan Vinho Barrique I tried was excellent. I hope that yours is too.

Anticipation now running high...!

@Victor "9.09% BEAVER DRIPPINGS"?

Looks like @madsinglemalt has hacked your account.

@murrayaitken I had a very small taste of the Vinho Barrique which was being doled out very sparingly at a tasting recently. That left me craving a whole lot more. Very tasty. Give us your thoughts when you crack it.

@Nozinan These guys have obviously never eaten beaver.

@BlueNote_ I was thinking the same thing.

@Victor @Nozinan @BlueNote @paddockjudge I bet Collingwood would be the one going for the "9.09% beaver drippings". Wiser's could go for the moose and Gibson for the loon or the goose. And I will add that Glenora would probably go for seal's bacon.

@Victor_ 9.09% BEAVER DRIPPINGS" now that would be a polarizing dram...beaver tail barrique and a full rack house.

@paddockjudge not a house, a LODGE

@BlueNote I will do, I've had it a year already... it's crying out to me.

@Victor not sure about the beavers, but Woodford Reserve is one my favourites. Actually I have two bottles, one on the shelf and one in the fridge. Just the regular one, but I find it's lovely just out the fridge, neat...

@paddockjudge @Nozinan @Robert99 @Victor Actually, beaver butt juice is quite the delicacy. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castoreum