Kavalan Sherry Oak, 46%

Two out of three ain't bad. While Kavalan doesn't quite pull off the hat trick, this is no album filler either (can we still say that?). It is Karaoke Kavalan, Taiwanese X Factor whisky: a perfect reproduction of a big, plummy, pruney, tannin-soaked rich fruit compote with late fall damp forest notes. It says a lot about this distillery that five years ago we'd have marveled at this. Today, and by its own standards, it's Kavalan doing an Aerosmith ballad.