The distillery is named after the old name of Yilan County. The distillery was completed in December 2005, produced its first spirit in March 2006, and released its first bottling in December 2008.[2][3]
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 to 2010, they decided to retire them as the alcohol produced was too processed and it didn’t allow them to work with texture and flavor.[4]
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]
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]
In 2015, Kavalan's Vinho Barrique expression was named the world's best single malt whisky by World Whiskies Awards.[8][9]
Ian Chang, the master blender for Kavalan since the distillery founding in 2005, left in early 2020.[10]
Recognition
The distillery has been recognized as one of the highest rated spirits during the World Whiskies Awards.[11]
In 2016, Kavalan's Solist Amontillado Sherry Single Cask Strength was named the World's Best Single Cask Single Malt Whisky in that competition.[12]
In 2021, the distillery excelled in the Gold Outstanding category at the International Wines & Spirits Competition, winning all but one of the eight medals that were awarded. A Forbes article at that time commented on the distillery's success: It "came to prominence in January 2012, when one of its expressions beat out three Scotch whisky expressions in a blind tasting [and has since won] dozens of awards for its whisky bottlings".[13]
In June 2023, the company was awarded the prize for “Distillery of the Year” in the annual International Whisky Competition. Its Kavalan Solist Port Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky came in second in the “Top 15 Whiskies of 2023” category, and its Kavalan Triple Sherry Cask Single Malt Whisky ranked fourth out of the 92 “Whiskies Scoring Over 90 Points” in the competition.[14]
Kavalan single malt whisky is currently sold in 19 variants.
Kavalan Series
Kavalan Class Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan Concertmaster Single Malt Whisky
King Car Conductor Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan Podium Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan ex-Bourbon Oak Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan Sherry Oak Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan Distillery Reserve Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky (Peaty Cask)
Solist Series
Kavalan Solist ex-Bourbon Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan Solist Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan Solist Fino Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan Solist Brandy Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan Solist Amontillado Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan Solist Manzanilla Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan Solist PX Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan Solist Moscatel Sherry Single Cask Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan Solist Port Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan Solist Peaty Cask Single Malt Whisky
Premium Series
Kavalan Premium Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky (Amontillado & Manzanilla Sherry Cask)
Kavalan Premium Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky (PX Sherry Cask)
Gin
In 2019, Kavalan introduced a gin. Kavalan’s gin sets itself apart from other gin offering by using Taiwanese herbs, spices, and botanicals like kumquat, red guava, and dried star fruit. The gin is produced using the set of German stills Kavalan bought in its early days.[4]
Salins, Christine (9 August 2013). "Whisky from Taiwan?". Hospitality Magazine (Australia) website. Cirrus Media. Archived from the original on 24 August 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
