葡萄酒桶威士忌 Whisky in Wine Barrel
環球美酒, 盡在 Sipping Malt 微醺之醉 www.sippingmalt.com
English version at page bottom
噶瑪蘭是台灣金車酒廠的威士忌品牌, 是第一款全程於台灣自釀的單一麥芽威士忌, 於二零零八年首度上市時,引來市場上的哄動. 到了今天, 噶瑪蘭算是成功於市場站穩陣腳, 開發了多個系列和不少酒款, 雖則還算是年青酒廠, 但也胆敢推出一些非主流的酒款, 就像現在要介紹的一款酒.
Kavalan Solist Cask Strength, Vinho Barrique, 48 ml, 57% (20/11/2012 11:47)
這是 Solist Cask Strength 系列的酒款, 同系列的有主流的雪莉 Sherry 和波本 Bourbon 桶陳, 而這則是較少見的葡萄酒桶陳酒款. 葡萄酒桶陳的酒款, 市場上不多, 一間還算年青非傳統威士忌產區酒裝推出這非主流酒款, 夠膽色. 這酒款的標準裝是單桶裝瓶的, 但我喝的是酒辦(小樣), 很難要這麼講究吧.
氣味: 黑葡萄皮, 布冧, 葡萄乾, 麥飽, 強化酒, 啡糖
口味: 蜜餞, 柑橘皮, 咖啡, 多士, 肉桂,甘草
餘蘊: 悠長, 黑咖啡, 柑橘皮, 甘草
結論: 就於酒標所示, 很葡萄酒, 但亦有豐富的槳果香氣, 聞起來亦甜, 有些酒精的刺激感. 強而有力的酒體, 豐富, 沒有氣味上的甜, 葡萄酒的元素亦不再明顯, 多了很多香料的味道. 餘醞悠長, 適度的甘苦和香料. 很不錯又有特色的酒, 材料豐富, 多了點冬日 mulled wine 的氣息, 缺了些細節和融和, 但以這年青的酒來說, 表現很不錯.
English Version
Kavalan is a whisky brand of Taiwan King Car Distillery. It is the ever first single malt whisky entirely made in Taiwan. It stirred the whisky market when it was firstly launched in 2008. Nowadays, Kavalan can be said of successful in the market. Though King Car is deemed a young distillery, it releases few series and bottlings, including some non-mainstream products as the example which I now introduce.
Kavalan Solist Cask Strength, Vinho Barrique, 48 ml, 57% (20/11/2012 11:47)
This dram is belonging to the Solist Cask Strength series and this series include the mainstream’s Sherry and Bourbon cask whiskies. While whisky of wine barrel aged is uncommon in the market, how dare such a young new world distillery releases such an alternative whisky. The standard bottling of this whisky is of single cask but the sample I tasted was a miniature bottle. It is too harsh to demand a single cask miniature.
Nose: Black grape peel, plume, raisin, malt bread, fortified wine, brown sugar
Palate: Preserved fruit, orange peel, coffee, toast, cinnamon,licorice
Aftertaste: Long, dark coffee, orange peel, licorice
Conclusion: Berry fruit, as name suggested, winery and sweet, some alcohol attack. Powerful at palate, rich, spicy, lesser sweet and wine-like than smell. Long aftertaste, well balanced bitterness and spicy. An interesting dram, feeling of winter’s mulled wine, berry fruit and winery, well balanced sweetness and bitterness, powerful but not overwhelm. Good whisky but lack of detailing but account to a good dram to such a young whisky