Following in Kavalan’s footsteps, more Taiwanese distilleries will enter the fray. The island is home to one other whisky producer, the government‐run Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation. Chang says another will open this year and he has heard that one more is in the planning stages. He says this is good news for the Taiwanese whisky industry, which has been almost single‐ handedly sustained by Kavalan. “Hopefully, similar to Scotland, we can have many whisky distilleries in Taiwan,” he enthuses. This masterful approach to maturation means Kavalan’s whiskies are often seen as having a complexity that belies their tender age. The distillery started accumulating international trophies from 2010, when its whisky could have been no more than four years old. Kavalan does not list age statements on its whiskies, but Chang says the distillery plans to expand its line to include age‐stated expressions in the future. Kavalan Distillery ( Chinese: 噶瑪蘭酒廠; pinyin: Gámǎlán jiǔchǎng) is a Taiwanese whisky distillery. It is owned by the King Car Group and is located at Yuanshan Township, Yilan County, Taiwan. [1] History [ edit ] Whisky Distillery 1, King Car Kavalan Distillery The Best World Whiskies According to the 2021 International Wines & Spirits Competition," Forbes, 29 June 2021, retrieved 16 August 2021 In January 2010, one of the distillery's products caused a stir by beating three Scotch whiskies and one English whisky in a blind tasting organised in Leith, Scotland, to celebrate Burns Night. [5] [6]

For its part, Kavalan will continue to spread the message of Taiwanese whisky around the world. The brand’s biggest market is Europe, but it wants to gain a footprint in North America and Japan – it now has enough liquid to do so. “We have reached a good point in terms of production capacity, so the next stage is to push for sales in more markets,” says Chang. “But we also need to maintain the quality and complexity of our products. These are our two main priorities.” Rosenblatt, Susannah (14 June 2010). "In Taiwan, a Bit of Scotland Matures". The New York Times . Retrieved 24 May 2014. Nestled in the lush green surroundings of northeast Taiwan is a distillery that has been making major inroads into the global whisky scene. Since it opened 15 years ago, Kavalan has become the darling of international tasting competitions, shaping the nascent Asian whisky and broader world whisky movements in the process. Swan worked with Kavalan for more than 10 years, helping the distillery establish its “fruity, oily and complex” style. “Where Dr Swan influenced Kavalan the most was in wood policy and what kind of casks would influence the flavour of the whisky best,” says Chang. Swan taught Chang and the Kavalan team that American oak should be the brand’s preferred cask type, since European oak would “result in something that’s quite bitter and astringent” because of the effects of the local climate. Whisky maturing in barrels a b Quartly, Jules (9 January 2019). "Kavalan Finds Further "Ginspiration" ". topics.amcham.com.tw. Taiwan Topics . Retrieved 9 January 2021.

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The maturation process is cut down by a third, from four to six years versus the 15 or 25 years of its Scottish counterparts.

However, with growth comes the need for greater regulation, he says, and a definition for Taiwanese whisky. Chang highlights the example of Japanese whisky, which, despite its rapid growth, has no law preventing distillers from importing, blending and bottling bulk whisky from abroad. “As a producer you want to protect your reputation and the reputation of your whisky,” he says. Reflecting Kavalan’s deep roots in Taiwan, the early bottles were shaped like Taiwan’s tallest building, Taipei 101. It’s name is taken from an aborigine group that used to live in the area.International Whisky Competition Official Results". International Whisky Competition. 17 June 2023 . Retrieved 19 June 2023.

After its first few runs Kavalan bought a new set of much larger German stills to expand production. After experimenting with these stills from 2008-2010 they decided to retire them as they produced an alcohol which was too processed and didn’t allow them to work with texture and flavor. [4]The distillery was named by Whisky Magazine as the World Icons of Whisky "Whisky Visitor Attraction of the Year" for 2011, and its products have won several other awards. [3] You Won't Believe Where the World's Best Whiskey Comes From". Time. 23 March 2015 . Retrieved 25 March 2015. Stout, David (23 March 2015). "You Won't Believe Where the World's Best Whiskey Is Made". TIME.com . Retrieved 25 September 2015.