Kavalan – Solist Brandy Cask 2017 German Selection by Schlumberger (70cl, 54.8%)

Kavalan Solist Brandy Cask is a single cask Taiwanese single malt chosen for the German Selection by Schlumberger series. It matured in a former brandy cask of 600 litres and was bottled at cask strength, 54.8%, in a 70cl bottle, unfiltered and with no added colouring, after a little over eight years. Taiwan's warm, humid climate matures whisky roughly three times faster than in Scotland, with an angels' share of 10 to 12 percent. Peach, passion fruit, strawberry and mango on the nose sit over vanilla, toffee, spice and honey. The palate is oily, round and complex, with exotic fruit, winey notes and a hint of rancio. The finish is long and warm, ending on juicy lychee.