Taiwanese Distillery Kavalan Drops a Lunar New Year Whisky Gift Set
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When it opened more than two decades ago in 2005, Kavalan became the first private distillery to make malt whisky in Taiwan, releasing its debut single malt three years later in 2008. The distillery is now a leading producer in the world whisky sphere, meaning whisky that is made outside of countries with long distilling traditions like the U.S., Scotland, Ireland, and Japan. Kavalan just announced the release of a new gift set to celebrate the start of the Lunar New Year next month, and it includes one of its most popular sherry cask-matured expressions.
The tropical climate in Taiwan means that whisky maturation is generally accelerated, as high temperatures and humidity increase interaction between the liquid and barrels. Most of the whiskies are non-age statement expressions, but the distillery released its first age statement, a limited-edition 15-year-old, last spring. The whisky that is part of this new Year of the Horse Gift Set is one of Kavalan’s flagship expressions, Triple Sherry Cask, a non-age statement single malt that is matured in three different types of sherry casks—Oloroso, Pedro Ximénez, and Moscatel.
After aging separately, the three whiskies are blended together and allowed to rest and marry for a period of time before being bottled at 86 proof (43 percent ABV). “During this process, the flavors harmonize through a myriad combination of the three sherry cask whiskies, creating up to nine distinct sherry dimensions,” said senior blender Zerose Yang in a statement. “With the dried fruits of the Oloroso cask as its main character, Triple Sherry is embellished with the sweetness of PX and Moscatel casks.”
The Lunar Year, which marks the start of the Year of the Horse, lands on February 17, and it is an important holiday in Taiwan. “Lunar New Year is a time to celebrate heritage, renewal, and meaningful connection,” said Brian Radics, CMO of Kavalan’s U.S. distributor Hotaling & Co. “Kavalan Whisky’s special Lunar New Year Gift Set reflects the brand’s commitment to exceptional craftsmanship and thoughtful design, offering consumers a refined way to mark the season and share moments of celebration with family and friends.”
The gift set includes a bottle of the aforementioned Triple Sherry Cask Single Malt with a picture of a golden horse on the label and the outside of the gift box and comes with a tulip-shaped snifter designed to allow maximum enjoyment of the whisky’s flavor and aroma. You can find it available to purchase now (SRP $115) at websites like Total Wine.
