I don’t get to attend many whisky events, but I’m very glad Naseem got us tickets to this one, for Arial Fan and me on our shared birthday. Kavalan whisky has taken the world by storm, gaining reputation all over the world as a uniquely Taiwanese whisky, and renowned whisky maven David Broom explained to us exactly what makes Kavalan such a brilliant reflection of Taiwan terroir, terroir intended to mean everything from temperature to trees.

Local radio host and whisky aficionado, Shu Chong (蘇重) translated very ably, converting Dave Broom’s light Scottish brogue to Chinese, and when Kavalan’s master blender Ian Chang spoke in Chinese, Shu Chong translated back to English for Mr Broom, a very busy day for Shu Chong.

According to Dave Broom, Kavalan whiskies are instantly recognizable on the nose because they all exhibit notes of banana (freshly cracked young banana) and tropical fruit, though he immediately admitted that Scottish whisky descriptors are mostly limited to what comes in cans. The whiskies were all very fine and easy to drink, perfect reflections of the sub-tropical country of their elevation. If we had to place their characters geographically, I would say they are closer to Japan than they are to Scotland, with almost no peat and very smooth on the palate. I had never heard anyone speak of tannin before with reference to whisky, but I’m now going to watch for it. I didn’t get a chance to ask if Kavalan is made from Taiwanese barley, so this is a test to see if anyone is reading. What’s the answer?

Ian Chang spoke very eloquently about Kavalan’s barrel regimen, exhibiting a very intimate knowledge of sherry and bourbon and explaining the contrasting challenges of sourcing these two types of barrels used for aging their whisky. My favorite of the three we tasted was the third, aged in Bourbon casks. I felt the notes of toasted coconut and vanilla from the oak married very happily with Kavalan’s original tropical personality. When I tasted the Fino-cask-aged 4th selection I thought I noticed some rancio, the nutty aroma of well-aged sherry, and for me this complexity made a less peaceful union. However, when I returned to Bourbon-aged Soloist again, it did seem rather fruity and simple, so I can understand why people might prefer that aging style.

Dave Broom can really describe a whisky. Arial insisted that he give us tasting notes (she is a classic Alpha female), and Mr Broom delivered in spades, going deeper and deeper into the layers of aroma and flavor in these whiskies so that poor Shu Chong was hard pressed to remember even a summary.

Once again Arial spoke up to ask why Kavalan carries no age statements on its labels, and David Broom seemed well prepared to deal with this elephant in the room. Mr Broom said quite firmly that age statements are not a reliable measure of quality. An 18-year-old whisky aged in barrels that are not particularly active will be much less interesting than the same whisky aged five years in barrels that are still alive with their antecedents. Also, he pointed out that whiskies age at different speeds according to the ambient temperature where they are stored, and so Kavalan whiskies stored in Ilan will oxidize and absorb the essence of their casks much more quickly than casks stored in chilly Speyside. Of course here they are all still aged at least three years, as is the law in Scotland and the practice around the world, but with the age restriction no longer in effect, Kavalan blenders are free to use very old or very young casks to achieve the best possible expression of Kavalan’s Ilan terroir.

We also discussed New Make Spirit, and David Broom stated clearly that tasting new make is wonderfully instructive for helping distinguish the original qualities of different single-malt products. Ian Chang told me we can get new make, but only at the distillery. So that’s where we’re going next.