How a Taiwan distillery became a global malt whisky player in under 10 years
The Kavalan distillery opened in 2005 and pioneered a way to speed up whisky’s ageing process. Its spirits are rated among world’s best, and the island is earning a reputation as a destination for whisky connoisseurs
An upstart Taiwanese whisky is outshining veteran brands on the global stage as the island fast earns a reputation as a stamping ground for connoisseurs.
Taiwan’s whisky drinking tradition is nothing new, fuelled by long business dinners and a “bottoms up” culture of throwing back hard liquor.
In 2015 it ranked as the fourth largest market by value for Scotch, behind the US, France, and Singapore, according to the Scotch Whisky Association.
A flourishing scene of specialised bars and tasting workshops has emerged as Taiwanese drinkers become thirsty for in-depth expertise.
Helping to galvanise interest is the island’s homegrown Kavalan distillery. Set among rice fields in northeastern Yilan county, it sees a million visitors a year.
“A lot of people only know how to drink, but they don’t know how it is made,” says CEO Lee Yu-ting, who hopes the distillery can “educate” consumers.
Kavalan was founded just 11 years ago by local conglomerate King Car – best-known for mass producing bottled water and canned coffee.