KAVALAN, Pure Taiwan.
Believing
Building a whisky distillery in Taiwan seemed like a far-fetched fantasy to most just a few years ago. After all, nobody had ever fully produced a whisky here, ever. And the origins of whisky seemed too distant from this part of the world to even consider a local tipple.
But we stuck by our dream, driven by the belief that you can only make things happen if you dream big enough.
Supported by some formidable whisky connoisseurs, at home and in Scotland – King Car went from fantasy to reality and has started to produce a world-acclaimed whisky from its very own distillery in Taiwan.
Kavalan was born.
Birth of a fine local Whisky
By using Taiwan’s unique natural resources and its very own world class distillery in Ylan, King Car’s whisky distillery started producing the very first bottles of made-in-Taiwan whisky in 2008. Milled, saccharified, fermented, distilled, aged, and blended by King Car, Kavalan Whisky is the first step towards the foundation of a distillery that will last for a thousand years.
Traditional Distillery craftmanship
In order to establish a world-class distillery, King Car invited world-class specialists to join its R&D team and share invaluable expertise on how best to deliver outstanding quality whilst maintaining a deep respect for traditional craftsmanship and distilling.
In addition to importing copper stills from Scotland, King Car also persuaded a professional Scottish master distiller to implement highly specialized distillery processes. This was combined and integrated with King Car's 30-year beverage manufacturing experiences. By having a professional and senior R&D team, abundant manufacturing management resources, and the ability to alter existing distilling methods to match local needs, the King Car distillery was ready to make an impact in the world of Whisky.
Capacity was increased to a significant 9 million bottles per year, all under strict spirit quality monitoring.
Taiwan's first ever whisky has been brought to life amid tradition and expert know-how. And using breakthroughs in traditional distilling methods and innovative distillery craftsmanship, King Car has even taken the art of whisky making to the next level.
Rooted in Taiwan
The quality of the water is a key ingredient for a successful whisky. The distillery team extracts clean water from the Central Mountain Range and the Snowy Mountain Range of Ylan to produce a unique whisky that matches Taiwanese tastes. In addition, the King Car distillery is located at the cross boundary of Yi-Lan Mountains and the sea. When the Pacific Ocean mist and the Snowy Mountain winds interact, the air circulating outside and around the casks allow even better “wood breathing” characteristics. The “deeply asleep” whisky inside the casks absorbs natural scents from this interaction, hence breeding a rich and unique taste for all Kavalan whiskies that call out to the world with their world class quality and unique Taiwanese flavours and aromas.
Kavalan, the origins of the name.
KAVALAN is the earliest clan that inhabited the Lan-Yan plain. The name represents sincerity, honesty, and the spirit of step-by-step cultivation. Every Kavalan drop is genuine. KAVALAN whisky insists on bringing you the most complete experience to your senses. King Car will not cease in its search for different expressions of its whiskies in order to satisfy a growing international market with very specific palate needs.
