Review #20: Kavalan Solist Sherry, bottled 2012, OB, 58.6%, C# S060710004, 570 bottles

this still isn't imported to the States yet. oh well.

If it ends up costing as much as it does at TWE, I doubt it'll be worth it. Still, it's intriguing -- maybe they've been buying up all the best sherry casks. It's not very old, of course -- there's a bottling date but no fill date -- that and the hot weather in Taiwan makes me think it's pretty young.

It's very dark, and has a nose to match: thick, rich, sweet, with soy sauce and chocolate and some green tobacco and ripe red berries and marzipan and cotton candy and fruit gummies -- lychee above all. It's the berries on top of everything that get to me -- it's like a jar of Bonne Maman thrown into a bottle of brandy de jerez. Really appealing. There's a hint of burnt matchsticks, but not unpleasant at all.

The matchsticks scorch the palate a little bit, but then it's back to candied sweetness mixed with soy and coffee. The finish is long and sweet on vanilla mocha, red fruit, coconut, and, well, matchsticks.

So the nose is just fabulous, the palate is ok, and the finish holds up well. I thought this would be more of a pricey novelty -- sometimes things get buzz because they're new rather than because they're good, but this is definitely good.

score: 89