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Kavalan
Founded
2006
Region
Taiwan
Status
Operational
Company
Production type
Gin,
Single malt
Kavalan distillery is part of the King Car Group in Taiwan and was the first commercial whisky distillery in the country. The company founder, TT Lee, was a huge fan of Glenlivet single malt and was inspired to try and replicate it in his home nation, enlisting the help of the legendary, late Dr. Jim Swan to assist with the distillery design.
Construction was completed in December 2005 and it produced its first spirit in 2006. The distillery produces a double-distilled single malt using water drawn from Taiwan's Snow Mountain and Central Mountains. These are then matured in a variety of different casks types and the country's hot climate provides the unique benefit of ageing the whisky much faster than the cooler weather where single malt whisky has traditionally been made.
The distillery and its brand takes its name from the indigenous Kavalan people of Taiwan's Kabalan Plain. The distillery's first single malt was released in 2008, a non-age statement release now known as Kavalan Classic. This was followed in 2009 by the introduction of the port cask-finished Concertmaster and the first of its single cask Solist releases.
The core range today now also includes a sherry-finished Concertmaster and two non-age statements called Distillery Select No.1 and No.2. A Kavalan-branded gin was also introduced in 2019.
Kavalan Distillery
No. 326, Section 2
Yuanshan Road
Yuanshan Township
Yilan County
Taiwan 264
Active brands
Gin,
Single malt