Established in 2005, Kavalan is Taiwan’s first whisky maker and the nation’s only family owned whisky distillery. Kavalan takes the old name of
Yilan County where the distillery is located in northeastern Taiwan. The pure water and fresh air make this part of the subtropical island the ideal environment for the production of whisky. The distillery brings together world-class master blender, Ian Chang, as well as the expertise of renowned whisky specialist, the late Dr. Jim Swan. In a career that spanned more than 40 years, Dr. Swan conducted ground breaking scientific research and helped countless distilleries take their first steps towards making whisky. Described as ‘the Einstein of whisky’, his roots lay in Scotch, but he shared his expertise with distilleries all over the world including: Kilchoman, Clydeside and Annandale in Scotland, Dublin Whiskey Distillery in Ireland, The London Distillery, Cotswold and St George’s in England, Victoria Caledonian in Canada, Milk & Honey in Israel, Amrut in India and many more.