Kavalan Debuts Solist Colheita Port Single Cask Strength

Known for its diverse range of exotic casks, Kalavan's Solist series is amongst the best known of Taiwan's whiskies, and this time the distillery is taking things a step further with its Kavalan Solist Colheita Port Single Cask Strength!

With specially selected 1982 Colheita Port barrels, Kavalan has sought to further enhance the classic Port cask finish with the use of barrels of Douro's most sought after fortified wine. Taken to refer to a single harvest or vintage, Colheita typically references single vintage Tawny Port made in Portugal's historic Douro Valley. According to Douro requirements, for a Port wine to be classified as Colheita, grapes from a single year must undergo a minimum of 7 years of wood ageing in seasoned oak casks before bottling. It's worth noting that this differs from Vintage Port which is aged primarily in bottle instead of wood, and thus Colheita Port wines often demonstrate deeper notes of nuts, dried fruit, honey, coffee and chocolate, as a result of its slow yet natural oxidation process.

Kavalan's Solist Colheita Port Single Cask Strength is thus produced from Kavalan's Taiwanese single malt that has been aged in the select Colheita Port barrels since 2017, where it has matured in up till its bottling in 2026, consequently yielding "refined layers of fruit and floral elegance. Juicy berries and mulberries lead the palate, unfolding into delicate hints of violet and rose. Ripe peach and candied citrus emerge, followed by notes of stewed pear and sweet-tart smoked plum. The finish lingers with nutty richness, dried longan, and refreshing woody notes, balanced by vibrant fruit."

Official Tasting Notes

Colour: Deep Amber

Aroma: Sweet-tart berries, ripe mulberries, violet, rose, peach, citrus.

Taste: Full and rounded, gently stewed pear with warm sweetness, subtle tartness of smoked plum, delicate nuttiness, dried longan, gentle warmth.

Finish: Lingering fresh woody notes and vibrant fruit. Graceful and long.

The whisky expression is also packaged with a design that incorporates the Douro Valley landscape and rivers as a mark of the terroir that produces the Colheita Port casks.

The new Kavalan Solist Colheita Port Single Cask Strength is now available at Kavalan retail shops, boutique, whisky bars, as well as major liquor retailers across Taiwan. It is priced at NT$12,000 (US$376.70) per bottle, bottled at 50-59.9% ABV.

Kanpai!

88 Bamboo Editorial Team