This is the story of how Taiwan came to produce the best Whisky in the world. It started in 2005 with the founding of Kavalan Distillery in Yilan County. They pioneered the art of distilling single malt whisky in Taiwan by aging their product in intense humidity and heat, and using the meltwaters of Snow Mountain, along with local sea and mountain breezes to enhance it.
Clearly they are doing something right as they have won global acclaim. And now five years after claiming the World Whiskies Award’s “World’s Best Single Malt,” the iconic Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique will at last have a sequel. Whiskey aficionados can’t wait as Kavalan’s whisky from Taiwan continues to impress judges and connoisseurs from around the world.
Kavalan Distillery in Yilan County has been pioneering the art of single malt whisky in Taiwan since 2005. The company has won awards and accolades around the world. Frankly they make an excellent product and its nice to see an Asian producer being so widely recognized.
Kavalan has announced that its second Shave, Toast, Rechar (STR) whisky will be launched in October in Taiwan as part of an exclusive 4-bottle set for Christmas.
In 2006, the hand-crafted rechar STR technique was developed by the late Dr Jim Swanand Kavalan in Taiwan. In their search for extraordinary flavour, they developed an exacting recipe for toasting and recharring wine barrels to remove the acidity associated with wine cask maturation and to enhance the depth of flavour possible in Taiwan’s subtropical climate.
Kavalan’s second Shave, Toast, Rechar expression is also the distillery’s very first peated whisky, whose new make is distilled from peated barley.
Kavalan CEO Mr Lee said Kavalan’s STR technique awakened the dormant flavours locked within the barrels, resulting in bigger, bolder, fruitier flavours, made possible in Yilan County’s phenomenal subtropical climate. These layers are underlaid with the alluring, smokey malt aromas from the peated spirit.
“I’ve been asked many times since the WWA win when we would release another Made-in-Taiwan STR whisky. Now after years of experimenting, we sincerely hope the second STR whisky will pass on the excellent performance of Vinho, becoming the spotlight for whisky fans around the world,” said Mr Lee.
Since 2015, Vinho Barrique has continued to impress judges with its craftsmanship, this year collecting a string of top tributes. At the World Whisky Masters 2020 contest organised by the Spirits Business, it was named “Taste Master,” the ultimate global prize in the contest. At the recent Tokyo Whisky and Spirits Competition it was also named the contest’s “Best of the Best.”
World Whisky Masters Results
Taste Masters Medal
- Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique
Masters Medal
- Kavalan Podium
- Kavalan Sky Gold Wine Cask Matured
- Kavalan Solist Amontillado Sherry
- Kavalan Distillery Reserve Peaty Cask
- Kavalan Solist Fino Sherry
- Kavalan Solist Sherry
Gold Medal
- Kavalan Distillery Select No.2
- Kavalan Distillery Select No.1
- Kavalan Concertmaster Sherry Cask Finish
- Kavalan Concertmaster Port Cask Finish
- Kavalan Classic
- King Car Conductor
- Kavalan Oloroso Sherry Oak
- Kavalan ex-Bourbon Oak
- King Car 40th Anniversary Selected Wine Cask Matured
- Kavalan Earth Silver Wine Cask Matured
- Kavalan Solist PX Sherry
- Kavalan Solist Manzanilla Sherry
- Kavalan Solist Port
- Kavalan Distillery Reserve Rum Cask
