Omar Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky Lychee Liqueur Barrel Finished

This Lychee liqueur barrel finished cask strength whisky is a premium product from Nantou Distillery. It sells for over two-thousand dollars a bottle. It’s a unique product to a region that's known for their lychees. 

Nantou Distillery is located in Taiwan. It’s a hot and humid climate, which means evaporation rates are high and whisky matures faster than your rainy drizzly Scottish countryside scotch. The distillery started distilling whisky back in 2008 (though their history goes further back to 1978). They now have stockpiles of American and European oak matured single malts sold under the brand Omar. 

Why lychee barrel cask finishing? I'm glad you asked. The mountains of Nantou grow plenty of lychees, and it’s these fresh lychees that went into the liqueur that these barrels previously matured. The whisky itself matured for about three to four years in high-temp intense time in in ex-bourbon casks before being finished briefly in these unique lychee liqueur barrels. 

This is a regular release that comes in a variety of cask strength proofs and ages, so your mileage may vary in terms of flavour profile.

Omar Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky Lychee Liqueur Barrel Finished 56% ABV 230/911
Nantou Distillery
Category: Taiwan whisky, NAS, Cask Finished, Lychee
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Nose: Youthfully matured malted barley nuttiness, some fresh oak spice, and a vanilla note that’s unique enough to possibly be lychee sweetness. It’s earthy, and oak-forward, so the lychee note is probably not something I’d pick out in a blind tasting. I also haven’t had a lychee liqueur in quite some time. Saying that, it has that syrupy sweet aspect that I’d associate with a sweet liqueur. 

Palate: Lots of oak spice, and a a weirdo note that I can only identify as lychee. Seriously, unlike on the nose, it’s impossible to escape the lychee notes. It’s well constructed, though. It gives off a bit of a ‘sour wine’ note, with vanilla sweetness, and liquorice-like bitter tongue numbness. That’s the best way to describe it. The finish is dry and gummy, and unusual (in a fun way). Bottled at cask strength, the syrupy sweet nose is nicely tamed on the palate. 

Conclusion: Do I need a lychee cask finish in my life? Probably not. Am I glad to try it? Yes, absolutely. Whisky fans often worry that a concept like this can get gimmicky, but I’m often surprised how well single malts aged in oak absorb all these flavours. There’s a harmony that’s been achieved. 

Note: This was in a sampler bottle for a while. It was tightly sealed and didn’t taste off, but it’s possible I didn’t have it at my best.