Kavalan 2017 Solist Oloroso Sherry Cask New Vibrations 6 yo

 

 

 

54,8°

Distillery : Kavalan - Taiwan 

Oloroso Sherry Cask 

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2023

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

To celebrate Whisky Live 2023, the Kavalan distillery released 4 bottlings, including this one, aged in an Oloroso Sherry single cask for 6 years and almost 4 months. Like all the distillery's exceptional bottlings, it has been included in the Solist range, but this does not prevent it from being part of the Collection New Vibrations, which guarantees priority distribution on the French market. 217 bottles were filled.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

It's a completely exuberant Sherry, syrupy, gooey, cherry and quince jelly, marzipan, leather, dried fruits, dates, apricots, figs, rubber, goji seeds, lingonberries, cranberries, gooseberries. Salted butter toffee, milk chocolate chips. Same profile on the palate, it's suave, fruity, almost floral, with a few malty accents, but the main flavour is red fruits, raspberries, blueberries, fairly restrained spices, nutmeg, cloves, delicate woodiness, leading to a fairly long but not very explosive finish, in which the Sherry is still predominant. Cocoa powder, liquorice, more red fruits, drier this time, forest berries, blackberries, a few charcoal touches. Forest undergrowth.

 

In Short, 

The classic Kavalan profile, where the Sherry is quite overpowering, but it's very well done. Fans will snap it up, despite the rather high price. I found it to be quite balanced compared to its brethren.

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Daiqing Tana - Silent Sky

Amrut 2015 Peated Port Pipe New Vibrations 8 yo

 

 

 

60°

Distillery : Amrut - India

Port Pipe

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2023

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Heavily Peated

 

 

 

For Whisky Live Paris 2023, Amrut emptied two casks, both of Port. The difference between the two is that one is peated and the other is not. I naturally focused on the peated one. Aged 8 years, it produced 486 bottles, sold primarily in France as part of the Collection New Vibrations. It is not Cask Strength, contrary to what is advertised everywhere, but reduced to 60°. What's more, no one had the courtesy to tell what the ppm level was, but I'd estimate it to be between 35 and 40, more or less.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Very fruity on the nose, but coated with soot, blackcurrants, raspberries, lingonberries, gooseberries, blackberries, bilberries, mangoes, all very juicy and intense. Some meaty hints, bacon, beef jerky and dark chocolate. Very light iodine. On the palate, it's all the same, dates and red fruits, with more of a strawberry flavour but without acidity, and a variety of deep spices, nutmeg, cinnamon, cumin and Espelette pepper. Small lardons, a sprinkling of salt, damsons. Peat remains in the background. The finish is lovely, long and explosive, with cherries and curry, heather earth, sandalwood and pine needles.

 

In Short, 

The peat is very present, but the port is so intense that it is somewhat sidelined. This is a very pleasant whisky, you just have to like port. The finish is particularly good, as you can feel the woody touches. For an 8-year-old, the price is quite excessive, even if I know that ageing is not the same in the tropics.

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Habibti Ensemble - Baghdad

Mars Tsunuki 2018 Tsunuki Aging 5 yo

 

 

 

60°

Distillery : Tsunuki - Japan

Sherry Hogshead 

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2023

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Peated around 50 ppm

 

 

 

The Tsunuki distillery is located on the island of Kyushu, in the far south of Japan, in the plains. This Sherry Hogshead was filled there, then spent 5 years in its warehouses. Highly peated, at around 50 ppm, it promises a fine blend of peat and Sherry. 239 bottles are on sale as part of the Collection New Vibrations launched by La Maison du Whisky, which means that priority will be given to distribution on the French market. The label was designed by the artist Takahiro Kurashima. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The smoke is a little stifling, thick, peppery, rough, mineral, and initially hides the other aromas. But the Sherry gradually rises, fruity, sweet, lingonberries and gooseberries, quince jam, stuffed dates. A fine blend, though contrasting. Oily on the palate, the fruit stands out, very ripe mirabelle plums, apricots, and behind beautiful spices and a fat, muddy peat. The finish is long but not exceptional, with a certain suavity, chocolate, charcoal and liquorice. Shiitake mushrooms and tree bark.

 

In Short, 

I found the smoke a little too overpowering. Japanese whisky is usually renowned for its balance, but this is not the case here. The Sherry tempers the suffocating peat, but the distillate's markers are lost there. This is still a very good product, powerful, deep and racy, but far too expensive for what it is.

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Zack Hemsey - The Way

Mars Komagatake 2017 Yakushima Aging 6 yo

 

 

 

57°

Distillery : Shinshu - Japan

Sherry Hogshead

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2023

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Peated around 20 ppm

 

 

 

The third in a series of 4 bottlings specially conceived for Whisky Live Paris 2023, this one spent 6 years in a Sherry Hogshead in the warehouses on the island of Yakushima, where the climate is hot and humid. This contrasts with the distillery where it was made, located 800 metres above sea level, which is said to be the highest distillery in Japan. All in all, 251 bottles have been produced, sold primarily by La Maison du Whisky as part of the Collection New Vibrations. The label was designed by the artist Takahiro Kurashima.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

On the nose, a lovely mellow thickness, dates and dried figs, enhanced by pear cake, chocolate fondant, a few raspberries and gooseberries, floor wax, melting semi-salted butter. The peat is discreet, mineral and peppery, giving the whole a nice structure. On the palate, red fruits and spices, with hints of chocolate, liquorice, tobacco and ginger. Cereal touches. Long finish, not quite explosive, chocolate and earth come through, star anise, twigs, pretzels. Quite robust smoke, with liquorice and charcoal. Roasted chestnuts. A dash of vanilla.

 

In Short, 

This is undoubtedly what this whisky was lacking to achieve excellence: a note of Sherry. In fact, the nose and palate are much more nuanced, and the finish more complex, though less powerful. However, the iodine character of the Yakushima warehouses and the mountainous hints of the Shinshu distillery are somewhat lost. Perhaps the ideal would be a blend of a few Bourbon casks and one or two Sherry casks distilled in Shinshu and aged in Yakushima. That could be perfect. For now, it's very pleasant, but the price is still far too high.

Score : 89 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Peter Rand - The Golden Experiment

Mars Komagatake 2018 Shinshu Aging 5 yo

 

 

 

62°

Distillery : Shinshu - Japan

Bourbon Barrel

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2023

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Peated around 50 ppm

 

 

 

The second of 4 bottlings specially released for Whisky Live Paris 2023, this one spent 5 years in a Bourbon Barrel before being distributed in 206 bottles as part of the Collection New Vibrations, which means it will be sold primarily on the French market. It is very peaty, and was stored during its maturation at Shinshu itself, the distillery 800 metres above sea level where it was made. The label was designed by artist Takahiro Kurashima.

Let's Taste It : 

A fresh, icing-sugar nose, but also somewhat vinous, like white wine, vanilla and custard. There's not much peat on the nose, it's more like a fog, slightly mineral, with chips of coal. Some planty notes in the background, reeds, tall grass. Mellow and fruity on the palate, with mirabelle plums and lychee, apple doughnuts and mountain honey. Full-bodied, with well-balanced spices. The finish is long, almost explosive, with wood, varnish, cardamom, star anise and pistachio. Notes of earth and liquorice, parsley, mint leaf.

In Short, 

I have to admit that I was impressed by this one. Beautifully clean, very balanced, with mountain and plant scents that don't mask the fruit. What's surprising is that the peat is very light, despite the claimed 50 ppm. The alcohol is also very well integrated. All in all, a good job, which I'd advise you to buy if you absolutely must invest a lot of money in a 5 year old whisky.

Score : 89

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Psybie Project - Rise Again

Mars Tsunuki 2017 Yakushima Aging 6 yo

 

 

 

60°

Distillery : Tshunuki - Japan

Bourbon Barrel

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2023

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Peated around 20 ppm

 

 

 

The Mars group owns two distilleries, Shinshu, located at an altitude of 800 metres, and Tsunuki, located in the plains. It also has a warehouse in Yakushima by the sea. All this makes for a great combination of experiences. Here we have a whisky distilled in Tsunuki and then kept in Yakushima for 6 years in a Bourbon Barrel. The result gives 175 bottles, which will be sold primarily in France as part of the Collection New Vibrations. The label was designed by artist Takahiro Kurashima. The whisky is announced as Cask Strength by some websites, but at exactly 60°, I don't believe it at all.

Let's Taste It : 

The nose is mellow, iodised, airy, with some white fruit, others exotic, mango, passion fruit, candied ginger. Discreet peat, smoke and fish scales, light mineral touches. Very balanced on the palate, but a bit young, with soft, syrupy caramel, juicy pear and cigar ash. Decent spices, cumin and nutmeg. A pinch of salt, and then the finish, long, not too explosive, charcoal and roots, quartz, a spoonful of apricot jam, quinces, chestnuts, walnuts, banana.

In Short, 

Very well made, well balanced, mellow and nuanced, but I still found it a bit young. To be reserved for absolute enthusiasts, as the price is outrageous.

Score : 88

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Vault 318 - I'll Find you

Chichibu Paris Edition 2023

 

 

 

49,5°

Distillery : Chichibu - Japan

Bourbon Hogsheads and Quarter Casks

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition

Single Malt 

Bottled in 2023

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Slightly Peated

 

 

 

Every year since 2018, Chichibu has released a special edition called Paris Edition, on the occasion of Whisky Live Paris. This is the sixth edition. Made from a specially prepared blend by Ichiro Akuto himself, it is a limited bottling of 2,100 bottles, made from Hogsheads and Bourbon Quarter Casks. A total of 9 casks have been used, each aged between 5 and 7 years. Five different labels were created especially for this edition, illustrating each of the 5 Parisian Grands Magasins: Le Bon Marché, La Samaritaine, Le Bazar de l'Hôtel de Ville, Galeries Lafayette, and Le Printemps. Personally, I got La Samaritaine, but all 5 labels are very pretty and a credit to French heritage.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The nose is really well done, very well balanced between grainy peat and light fruit, pear, apple, tangerine, pineapple. Very light cereal touches, hay, tall herbs, almonds and melted butter. On the palate, it's oily, lemony, the peat remains in the background but is very present, herbaceous, almost earthy, very measured spices, cloves, pepper, exotic fruit at the end, banana, passion fruit. The finish is long and very correct, with a hint of seeds, barley, millet, puffed rice, still lemon and almonds, a drop of honey, barley sugar, even coconut milk, finishing with chocolate chips and liquorice.

 

In Short, 

I have to admit that it's very well done. Considering its age, it's even excellent. But it's still 5 years old, and selling it at that price is pretty crazy. That said, if people buy it, you can't blame them. 

Score : 89 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Yungchen Lhamo - Sound Healing

Chichibu 2015 Collection New Vibrations 8 yo c. 12508

 

 

 

62,8°

Distillery : Chichibu - Japan

Japanese Koshu Wine Cask 

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2023

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Slightly Peated

 

 

 

Still part of the Collection New Vibrations, this second Chichibu has been aged in a cask of locally produced Japanese white wine, Koshu wine. Made from Odyssey barley, it is a single cask and a cask strength limited to 274 bottles. Everything has been done to respect the craftsmanship of this small distillery, which opened in 2008.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Light and well-developed peat, grainy, dry earth, gravel, squeezed lemon and floral vanilla, cherry blossom, a few herbaceous hints, tall grass, reeds, white grapes. The palate is dry, vinous, even slightly bitter, yet it's well done, with notes of cereal and white chocolate, rather strong spices, cumin, pepper, nutmeg, and a few fruits, lychee, banana. The finish is long, powerful and explosive, with cloves, white plums and a few drops of honey. Creamy liquorice at the end, fresh cream.

 

In Short, 

I admit that it's very well done, but I didn't really like the wine influence in the mouth, which was a bit dry and bitter for my taste. At least it's original and typically Japanese, I have to admit that, but when I see the price, it's obvious that I'll never buy it.

Score : 88

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Sui - Sun Quan The Emperor