If you pay any attention to the world of whiskey (or whisky), you’ve probably realized that the spirit is being produced in more countries than ever before. Obviously, the most well-known whiskey producing countries are the US, Scotland, Ireland, Canada, and Japan. But, did you know that places like South Africa, Tazmania, India, and Taiwan are getting in on the action?
We’ll get to all the other areas in future articles, but today we focus on the island country of Taiwan. If you aren’t aware of the recent whisky reputation of Taiwan than you haven’t been paying much attention to the spirits world. In 2015, Taiwan’s Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique Single Cask Strength was named as the world’s best single malt whisky at the World Whiskies Awards.
Taiwan might not be full of hundreds of distilleries like Scotland, but Kavalan is enough for the country to stake its claim in the world of high-caliber whiskies. Founded in 2006, Kavalan was the first distillery in the country. It didn’t even begin selling its whiskies until 2008 and by 2012 were already winning awards.
“Because of the heat and humidity in the region, they found that their whiskies aged at a much quicker rate than the colder temperatures found in Scotland and Japan,” says Eric Tschudi, Head Bartender at Shuko in New York City.
But, Kavalan (King Car Distillery) isn’t the only distillery in Taiwan. “In 2008, a second distillery opened in Taiwan, trying to capitalize off of the Kavalan craze,” says Tschudi. The Nantou Distillery, known for their OMAR whiskies, is owned and run by the state, TTL (Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor company).
Traditional Styles
All of Kavalan’s whiskies are single malts. “The warm and humid conditions are ideal for making whisky – it also helps that they source their water from the Lanyang River, which is known to have really clean water that is rich with minerals,” says Tschudi.
Taiwanese whiskies, specifically Kavalan, are very similar to Scotch (think Macallan) as well as Japanese whiskies (like Yamazaki and Hibiki). “You don’t find a ton of heavily peated tones in these whiskies,” says Tschudi.
The Aging Process
The subtropical climate is what makes Taiwanese whisky truly unique. The neat helps to increase the interaction between the spirits and the wood in the casks. This speeds up the aging process significantly. It also means that the “Angels Share” is much greater than in other parts of the world. “Because of this, they lose a lot of whisky every year, but what they are left with is rich and mature in flavor, depth, and structure,” says Tschudi.
Where to Start?
It might seem overwhelming if you’re a Taiwanese whisky novice. But, the easiest way to get started is by trying one of the “lower level” whiskies like King Car Conductor Single Malt. “Beautifully expressive, this malted barley whisky has depth, with notes of rich caramel, toasted wood, and a clean, floral finish,” says Tschudi. “At 46%, it’s not an overly aggressive whisky and would be a good entry point for bourbon and Macallan drinkers. It possesses a creamy texture as well as a nice, balanced spiciness.”
Although many of Kavalan’s whiskies are available stateside, whisky collectors who want to collect every bottling that Kavalan and Omar produce will probably need to look to Europe or Asia to fully complete their collection, as not all of the whiskies have been released in the States (and the ones that have are not always easy to find).
