Kavalan Peaty Cask

Kavalan Peaty Cask, 11 YO, 54.8 %

This is one of several Kavalan single peaty casks bottled for La Maison du Whisky (LMdW) in France. The “peaty cask” refers to the fact that the whisky has been matured in a cask that previously held an undisclosed peaty whisky.

The Kavalan Peaty Cask was distilled 2007-11-26, matured in an unspecified “peaty cask” (cask #R071126052), and bottled 2019-07-29. The total outturn was 300 bottles.

This whisky is quite dark in color.

BTW, this is by far the oldest Kavalan I have tasted.

I am told a few bottles might still be available in Norway, somewhere..

Nose: Deeply fruity - ripe apples and hints of tropical fruits. It does have a soft peatiness to it - or rather a smokiness. With time I also pick up on greener notes like tomato plant and green herbs.

Taste: Intense, literally eye-wateringly so. Again a deeply fruity base, but it has more competition from the peatiness now (yes, more peat than smoke on the palate). Also a bit of ashes and pepper. It is dry in character, and less sweet than the nose promised.

Finish: Medium long finish. More ashes, more pepper. The cask certainly has left a peaty imprint on this dram. The fruitiness is still here though, and it is not as dry on the finish. More sweet now actually - tropical sweets. . and dark chocolate.

Comment: The closest I’ve come to a peaty Kavalan. I would not mind a second encounter. Not at all!

Score 89/100

Sláinte!
-Thomas