Kavalan Distillery: Taiwan's First Whisky Distillery in Yilan
Updated: 23 hours ago
Kavalan Distillery is the whisky distillery that put Taiwan on the world map. Founded in 2005 and owned by the King Car Group, it sits in Yuanshan Township, Yilan County, on the north-east coast of the island. It was the first dedicated whisky distillery in Taiwan, and the way it grew tells you a lot about how the country went from drinking Scotch to making its own.
In this guide
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Kavalan at a glance
Distillery fact | Verified detail |
|---|---|
Distillery | Kavalan |
Country / region | Yilan, Taiwan |
Owner / producer | King Car Group |
History | Kavalan is owned by the King Car Group. The Taiwanese conglomerate founded the distillery in 2005, and it still runs it today. |
Whisky identity | Warm climate maturation and a broad cask programme |
Visiting | Check the current official visiting arrangements before travelling. |
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Where is Kavalan and what does the name mean?
The distillery is in Yuanshan Township, Yilan County. The name comes from the old name of the Yilan basin. The site is bounded by the Central Mountain Range to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east, and the distillery draws its water from the headwaters of Snow Mountain.
A short history of Kavalan
2002: Taiwan joins the World Trade Organization and private companies are allowed to produce alcohol. Before that, production had been a government monopoly held by the Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation.
2005: King Car Group founds Kavalan, the first dedicated whisky distillery in Taiwan. The distillery is completed in December.
March 2006: the first spirit is produced, on 11 March.
4 December 2008: the first bottling, Kavalan Classic, is released and the distillery opens to visitors the same day.
January 2010: a Kavalan product beats three Scotch whiskies and one English whisky in a blind tasting in Leith, Scotland, held to celebrate Burns Night.
2015: Solist Vinho Barrique is named World's Best Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards.
2016: a second distillery facility is added on site, taking the pot stills to 10 sets, along with a second maturation warehouse.
2018: German continuous stills are put to use for Kavalan Gin, and founder Tien-Tsai Lee and Chairman Yu-Ting Lee are inducted into the World Whiskies Awards Hall of Fame.
2024: a third maturation warehouse is completed, lifting storage capacity to more than 300,000 casks, and a Warehouse Tasting Room opens.
2025: Kavalan releases its first age-statement whisky, the 15 Years Old (2025 Edition), and then introduces the Peatist Series.
Who owns Kavalan?
Kavalan is owned by the King Car Group. The Taiwanese conglomerate founded the distillery in 2005, and it still runs it today.
How is Kavalan whisky made?
Kavalan makes single malt only. All the liquid comes from malted barley and is produced entirely on site. The distillery does not malt its own barley, so malt is brought in and the process begins with milling when it arrives.
Mashing in five mash tuns
Fermentation in 40 washbacks
Distillation in 10 sets of Scottish pot stills, 20 stills in total, with a double distillation
Maturation across three warehouses with a combined capacity of more than 300,000 casks
Bottling on site, with no artificial colouring since March 2016 and no chill filtration on expressions bottled above 46% ABV
The maturation warehouses have no climate control or air conditioning, so the warm, humid Yilan climate shapes how the whisky ages. Lower floors use palletised storage with barrels bundled in fours as a precaution against earthquakes, while the upper floors use dunnage-style storage.
What is the S.T.R. process?
S.T.R. stands for Shaving, Toasting and Re-charring. Used wine barrels are shaved to remove the stained inner layer of wood, toasted, and then re-charred before being filled with spirit. It is applied to selected expressions, including Solist Vinho Barrique, Master's Select No. 1 and No. 2, and LAN. The technique was developed with the late Scotch whisky expert Dr Jim Swan.
What does Kavalan make?
Core series at 40% to 46% ABV, including Kavalan Classic, Distillery Select No. 1 and No. 2, the Concertmaster finishes and Triple Sherry Cask
Solist series: single cask strength bottlings between 50% and 59.9% ABV, across cask types such as ex-bourbon, Oloroso, Fino, Port, Vinho Barrique, Rum, Madeira, Peated and Virgin Oak
Reverence series, including King Car Conductor and Podium
Distillery Reserve series, sold only through the Kavalan Distillery shop
Peatist series, introduced in 2025
Kavalan Gin, launched in 2018, and a range of ready-to-drink highballs sold mainly in Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong
In total Kavalan single malt is currently sold in 47 variants, and the distillery exports to more than 50 markets.
Awards
2012: Solist Fino Sherry Cask named new whisky of the year in Jim Murray's Whisky Bible
2015: World's Best Single Malt and Best Asian Single Malt for Solist Vinho Barrique at the World Whiskies Awards
2016: Solist Amontillado Sherry Single Cask Strength named World's Best Single Cask Single Malt at the same awards
2017: Distiller of the Year at the International Wine and Spirit Competition
2023 and 2025: Distillery of the Year at the International Whisky Competition
2024: Worldwide Whisky Producer of the Year at the International Spirits Challenge
By the end of 2025 the distillery had won more than 950 gold medals in international competitions
Visiting Kavalan
The distillery is open to visitors year round, daily including public holidays, from 9am to 6pm, across a 40-hectare site. Highlights include the Spirit Castle visitor centre with its shop and cafe, the Warehouse Tasting Room, the Whisky Lab where visitors blend a 300ml bottle of their own, the Garden Hall Bar and the Garden Hall Tasting Room. According to Wikipedia, a ticketing system with an entry fee of 200 per person was introduced in 2026. Check the official site for the current price and opening times before you travel.
Kavalan also runs a Whisky Bar in Taipei, opened in 2019, where guests can drink whisky straight from the cask.
Key dates
December 2005: the distillery is completed. It is named after the old name of Yilan County.
11 March 2006: first spirit produced.
4 December 2008: first bottling, Kavalan Classic, released, and the distillery opens to visitors the same day.
2016: a second distillery facility opens on site, taking the total to 10 sets of pot stills, and a second maturation warehouse is built.
Late 2018: Kavalan Gin debuts, made on German continuous stills.
2019: the Kavalan Whisky Bar opens in Taipei.
2024: a third maturation warehouse and a Warehouse Tasting Room open.
2025: the first age statement whisky, Kavalan 15 Years Old (2025 Edition), and the Peatist Series.
Production, per Wikipedia
Owner: King Car Group. Location: Yuanshan Township, Yilan County, Taiwan.
Malt is sourced externally; Kavalan does not malt on site.
Five mash tuns and 40 washbacks.
10 sets of Scottish pot stills, 20 stills in total, with double distillation.
Three maturation warehouses with a combined capacity of over 300,000 casks, with no climate control.
Cask types include ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, ex-port and ex-wine, plus casks treated with the S.T.R. process (shaving, toasting and re-charring) on selected expressions.
Water from the headwaters of Snow Mountain. No artificial colouring since March 2016, and no chill filtration above 46 percent ABV.
Range
Wikipedia lists 47 variants across series: the Core Series at 40 to 46 percent, the Solist single cask strength series at 50 to 59.9 percent, the Reverence Series, Distillery Reserve bottlings sold only at the distillery shop, the Peatist Series, and channel-limited releases. It also lists Kavalan Gin and canned highballs sold mainly in Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong.
Visiting
Per Wikipedia, the distillery is open daily from 9am to 6pm, including public holidays. A ticketing system with a 200 dollar entry fee per person was introduced in 2026, and the page does not state the currency, so confirm on the official site. The grounds include the Spirit Castle visitor center, a Warehouse Tasting Room, a Whisky Lab blending workshop and a Garden Hall Bar.
2026 whisky awards, releases and international availability
At the 2026 International Whisky Competition, Kavalan Peatist Oloroso Sherry Cask Single Cask Strength was named Whisky of the Year with 96.97 points. Kavalan Solist ex-Bourbon scored 94.63 and Solist Madeira scored 94.37. These are distinct single-cask or limited releases, so their existence does not mean each expression is continuously available worldwide.
What makes Kavalan distinctive?
Warm climate maturation and a broad cask programme.
Kavalan whisky bottles and releases
The following expressions are documented in producer or release sources. Special editions can be sold out and some blended labels include sourced whisky.
Bottle or expression | Age or release | ABV | Producer documentation |
|---|---|---|---|
Kavalan Classic Single Malt | NAS | 40% | Taiwanese single malt |
Kavalan Concertmaster Port Cask Finish | NAS | 40% | Port finish |
Kavalan Select No.1 | NAS | 40% | Core range |
Kavalan Podium | NAS | 46% | Oak-led expression |
Kavalan Triple Sherry Cask | NAS | 40% | Three sherry cask types |
Explore Kavalan Distillery bottles in the Whisky Clan library
Open a bottle page for verified specifications, maturation details and tasting information. Bottle availability can change over time.
Bottle | Age | ABV | Style |
|---|---|---|---|
— | 40% | Taiwanese single malt whisky |
Rare and historic whisky editions
These are historical or special releases, not live stock listings.
Bottle or expression | Age or release | ABV | Producer documentation |
|---|---|---|---|
Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique | Single cask | Cask strength | Wine barrel |
Kavalan Solist Amontillado Sherry Single Cask | Single cask | Cask strength | Sherry matured |
Kavalan Solist Ex-Bourbon Cask | Single cask | Cask strength | Solist range |
Kavalan whisky bottle photograph
An early photograph of a Kavalan single malt whisky bottle, taken in 2010
The table records named expressions, not live stock. Bottle strength and cask treatment can vary by market and release. Always consult the producer.
Explore more distilleries in Taiwan
Continue with other distilleries from Taiwan.
Frequently asked questions about Kavalan
Where is Kavalan based?
Yilan, Taiwan.
Who owns Kavalan?
King Car Group.
What is notable about Kavalan?
Warm climate maturation and a broad cask programme.
Which bottles does Kavalan have?
Kavalan Classic Single Malt, Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique, Kavalan Concertmaster Port Cask Finish. Releases and availability change.
Can you visit Kavalan?
Check the distillery's official visitor or tour information before making travel plans.
Is Kavalan the first Taiwanese whisky distillery?
Yes. It was the first dedicated whisky distillery in Taiwan, and its first spirit ran in March 2006.
Who owns Kavalan? The King Car Group.
Does Kavalan make its own malt? No. Malted barley is sourced externally and production starts when it arrives at the distillery.
How many stills does Kavalan have? Ten sets of Scottish pot stills, 20 stills in total.
Can you visit Kavalan? Yes, the distillery is open to visitors every day.
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Bottle range and producer source
Sources, image credits and official links
Sources: Wikipedia articles on Kavalan Distillery and Taiwanese whisky. Facts checked against those pages on 20 October 2026.
Further sources checked 20 October 2026: Wikipedia article on Kavalan Distillery (history, production, range, visitor information). Gaps: the official Kavalan site was not read, so prices, current tour booking and the entry fee currency are unconfirmed. Awards totals (over 950 gold medals) are the figure given by Wikipedia.
The original history, references and research remain in this guide. Whisky range and visitor information may change.
Additional image and release sources
About the author
 | Filip Janczak Storyteller, drinker and explorer of all things whisky. Read more about the person behind Whisky Clan and explore additional reviews and distillery guides. |
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