Kavalan Lan Single Malt Taiwanese Whisky (700ml)

Created as a tribute to Yilan, the birthplace of Kavalan, and to the orchid (lán hua in Mandarin), a symbol closely associated with Taiwan and the Chinese character for ‘orchid’. ‘LÁN’ in Chinese calligraphy is the key visual on the label, complemented by a King Car Honey Peach orchid, an award-winning exclusive breed from the Orchid Farm owned by King Car, the same parent company as Kavalan. The NAS expression is intended as a more affordable and approachable release in the distillery's portfolio. It's also a departure from 100% sherry or bourbon maturations, being a vatting of three different cask types resulting in what's generally considered a sweeter style. 43% Alc./Vol.

Other reviews... Named after the orchid, a symbol associated with Taiwan, this was matured in bourbon, port, and STR casks. The nose is beautifully aromatic, with wonderful florals plus cherry gummies, baking spices, dried apple, rose Turkish delight, and baked citrus. Thickly layered flavors of stewed fruits, baked apple, clove, toffee, pomegranate, watermelon syrup, cinnamon, plum, and chile flakes. It concludes with fruity plum flavors and mild spices. 93 points - whiskyadvocate.com

...Spoiler: This is a big diversion from your typical single malt experience, and one which drinkers may find divisive. Quite fruity up top, the whisky feels like it’s veritably rolling around in apple and blossom notes like a pig in mud. It’s perhaps an embarrassment of riches to contend with, as fresh apple turns into apple pie, and the fresh floral notes develop into a hefty potpourri perfume. The longer this sits in glass, the fruitier and sweeter it gets. The palate does not waver, and by the time I tucked into it in earnest, the throttle was all the way down on the sugary fruit bomb. Caramelized apple notes are impossible to ignore, with a mix of vanilla cake frosting, white chocolate, almond, and coconut all developing from there. The more flowery elements are relatively tamed here, veering toward incense as the finish builds — and which lasts for quite a while. Hints of cinnamon inform a fadeout that reprises some of that apple pie character, again coming across as rather aggressively sweet — though not without its share of charm. - drinkhacker.com