Kavalan Distillery

Kavalan Distillery (Chinese: 噶瑪蘭酒廠; pinyin: Gámǎlán jiǔchǎng) is a Taiwanese whisky distillery that makes special kinds of alcohol, including single malt whisky, gin, and ready-to-drink cocktails. It is owned by the King Car Group and is found in a place called Yuanshan Township in Yilan County, Taiwan.

The distillery was started in 2005, making it the very first place in Taiwan to make whisky. Its first batch of alcohol was made in March 2006, and the first product was sold in December 2008. Since then, Kavalan Distillery has won over 950 gold medals in contests around the world for its drinks. Its wines and spirits are now sold in more than 50 countries, making it very famous and popular worldwide.

History

The Kavalan Distillery is named after the old name of Yilan County. It was finished in December 2005 and made its first spirit on March 11, 2006. The first bottle of whisky, called the Kavalan Classic, came out on December 4, 2008, and the distillery opened its doors to visitors that same day. It has become a popular place for tourists to visit.

Whisky Distillery 1, King Car Kavalan Distillery

In January 2010, one of its special whiskies surprised everyone by winning against three Scotch whiskies and one English whisky in a tasting event in Leith, Scotland, held for Burns Night. Over the years, Kavalan has received many awards, including being named the "Whisky Visitor Attraction of the Year" by Whisky Magazine in 2011. In 2012, its Solist Fino Sherry Cask malt whisky was named "new whisky of the year" by Jim Murray in his guide, Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible. In 2015, Kavalan's Solist Vinho Barrique was named the "World's Best Single Malt Whisky."

In 2016, Kavalan built a second distillery and added more storage space for ageing whisky. By 2018, it started making gin using special German equipment. In 2019, a whisky bar opened in Taipei, letting visitors taste whisky straight from the casks. By 2024, a third storage building was finished, holding over 300,000 casks, and a new tasting room opened for visitors. In 2025, Kavalan won two big awards and launched its first whisky aged for 15 years, along with a new range of smoky flavours.

Recognition & Awards

Kavalan Distillery has received many awards for its whisky. In 2015, its Solist Vinho Barrique whisky won titles for the best single malt and best Asian single malt at the World Whiskies Awards. In 2016, another Kavalan whisky, the Solist Amontillado Sherry Single Cask Strength, was named the best single cask single malt in the world.

Over the years, Kavalan has continued to earn top honors. In 2017, it was named Distiller of the Year by the International Wine & Spirit Competition. By the end of 2025, the distillery had collected over 950 gold medals from competitions around the world. Its whiskies have often been named among the best in categories such as "World's Best Single Malt" and "Distillery of the Year."

Whisky Production

Kavalan Distillery makes single malt whisky, which means all the liquid in their bottles comes from malted barley and is made entirely at their distillery. The process includes steps like mashing, fermentation, distillation, and maturation before the whisky is bottled. The barley malt used is bought from outside, and production starts when it arrives at the distillery.

The whisky is made in several steps. First, the barley is ground into a coarse flour. Then, it is mixed with hot water to turn starches into sugars. Next, yeast is added to turn these sugars into alcohol. The alcohol is then distilled twice to make it stronger. Finally, the whisky is aged in oak barrels in special warehouses. Some barrels are treated in a special way called S.T.R., which involves shaving, toasting, and re-charring the wood to give the whisky unique flavors. Not every bottle of Kavalan whisky uses this special treatment; it is only used for certain special kinds of whisky.

Terroir & Climate

Kavalan Distillery is located in Yilan County on the northeastern coast of Taiwan. It is bordered by the Central Mountain Range to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east. The distillery uses water from the headwaters of Snow Mountain, known for being very pure.

Yilan has a subtropical climate with warm temperatures and lots of humidity. This climate helps give Kavalan whisky unique flavors, such as pineapple, mango, and papaya, along with vanilla, honey, and dried fruit. These flavors make Kavalan different from whiskies made in cooler places.

Kavalan Distillery Visitor Experiences

Kavalan Distillery welcomes visitors all year. Guests can take guided tours, try tastings, and enjoy many activities on its 40-hectare grounds. The distillery is open every day, including holidays, from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. In 2026, an entry fee of $200 per person was introduced.

The Spirit Castle is the main visitor center. It has shops, places to eat, and areas to learn about Kavalan’s history and how they make their drinks. The Distillery Shop is on the first floor, and Mr. Brown Cafe on the second floor serves drinks and meals.

The Warehouse Tasting Room, opened in 2024, lets visitors taste whisky straight from barrels in a special setting. Five rare barrels are available, including special ones like a Colheita Port barrel and a Virgin Oak barrel.

The Whisky Lab lets visitors mix different Kavalan whiskies to make their own special 300ml blend, learning about how blending works.

The Garden Hall Bar serves cocktails made with Kavalan whisky and also offers Buckskin Beer, a craft beer made by the same company.

The Garden Hall Tasting Room has all of Kavalan’s main products, either single drinks or tasting flights. Some special drinks only found outside Taiwan or in certain places are not available here.

Whisky Products

Kavalan single malt whisky comes in 47 different types. These whiskies are famous for their tropical fruit flavors, such as mango, pineapple, and coconut.

Kavalan Core Series (40-46% ABV)

Kavalan Classic Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan Distillery Select No.1 Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan Distillery Select No. 2 Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan Concertmaster Port Cask Finish Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan Concertmaster Sherry Cask Finish Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan Concertmaster Vinho Barrique Finish Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan ex-Bourbon Oak Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan Sherry Oak Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan Wine Oak Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan Port Oak Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan Triple Sherry Cask Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan LÁN Single Malt Whisky (exclusive to export markets)

Solist Series (Single Cask Strength; 50-59.9% ABV)

Kavalan Solist ex-Bourbon Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan Solist Oloroso Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan Solist Fino Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan Solist Amontillado Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky (Rare Sherry Collection)
Kavalan Solist Manzanilla Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky (Rare Sherry Collection)
Kavalan Solist PX Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky (Rare Sherry Collection)
Kavalan Solist Moscatel Sherry Single Cask Single Malt Whisky (Rare Sherry Collection)
Kavalan Solist Palo Cortado Sherry Single Cask Single Malt Whisky (Rare Sherry Collection)
Kavalan Solist Port 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 Rum Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan Solist Madeira Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan Solist Peated Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan Solist Virgin Oak Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky

Kavalan Reverence Series

King Car Conductor Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan Podium Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan 15th Anniversary ex-Bourbon Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky (limited edition)
Kavalan 15th Anniversary Oloroso Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky (limited edition)
Kavalan Aged 16 Years Virgin Oak Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky (limited edition)
Kavalan Aged 16 Years ex-Bourbon Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky (limited edition)

Distillery Reserve Series (Exclusive to Kavalan Distillery Shop)

Kavalan Distillery Reserve Peated Whisky Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan Distillery Reserve Rum Cask Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan Distillery Reserve Madeira Cask Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky

Peatist Series

Kavalan Peatist ex-Bourbon Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky
Kavalan Peatist Oloroso Sherry Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky

Channel-Limited

Kavalan Master's Select No.1 Single Malt Whisky (travel retail exclusive)
Kavalan Master's Select No.2 Single Malt Whisky (travel retail exclusive)
Kavalan Grand Reserve No.1 Single Malt Whisky (Lotte exclusive)
Kavalan Grand Reserve No.2 Single Malt Whisky (Lotte exclusive)
Kavalan Rhythm of Taiwan Collection -- Ocean Single Malt Whisky (EVERRICH exclusive)
Kavalan Distiller's Reserve No.1 Single Malt Whisky (Jeju Tourism Organization exclusive)
Kavalan Distiller's Reserve No.2 Single Malt Whisky (Jeju Tourism Organization exclusive)
Kavalan Blender's Select Single Malt Whisky (Costco exclusive)
Kavalan Blender's Select Signature Single Malt Whisky (Costco exclusive)
Kavalan Blender's Select Signature Sweet & Mellow Single Malt Whisky (Costco exclusive)

Gin Products

In 2018, Kavalan started making a special gin. This gin is different because it uses herbs, spices, and plants from Taiwan, such as kumquat, red guava, and dried star fruit. The gin is made in the same German stills that Kavalan bought when it first began.

Ready-To-Drink (RTD) Cocktail Products

In the 2020s, Kavalan Distillery started making easy-to-carry canned drinks. These drinks keep the same great taste as their famous spirits. You can find these drinks in Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong.

As of December 2025, Kavalan's easy-to-carry drinks include:

Kavalan Highball: The main drink that uses Kavalan Classic as its base.
Kavalan Dry Highball: A version of the Kavalan Highball Whisky Soda without extra sweetness.
Kavalan Dry Triple Sherry Cask Single Malt Highball: A version without sweetness using the Kavalan Triple Sherry Cask Whisky as its base.
Kavalan Dry Peated Malt Whisky Soda: A special version without sweetness using the Solist Peated Whisky as its base.