King Car Distillery

Opened in 2005 with an initial annual capacity of 1.5 million litres and running almost non-stop since, the first phase will triple output to 4.5 million litres by the end of the year. The Lee family, owners of the King Car industrial group, have outlined a further increase that would double capacity again to nine million litres by the end of 2016. King Car master blender and head of global business development Ian Chang puts it plainly: “They are getting very excited, and also very serious about the future in global markets. That’s why we think that it’s time to expand and produce more Kavalan for our consumers.”
Alongside the distillation expansion, the company has completed a second maturation warehouse at its campus in Yi-Lan Province and expects to begin planning and construction on a third to support the increased production. Kavalan also received significant recognition earlier this year when its Solist Vinho Barrique Single Cask Strength was awarded Whisky Magazine’s World Whiskies Award for the “World’s Best Single Malt.” Chang plans to broaden the Kavalan sherry-cask range with Amontillado and Manzanilla finishes in the months ahead, with a new series scheduled for late 2016.