Until 2006, the Taiwanese Government had a monopoly on distilling and selling alcohol in the country. However, when those regulations were lifted, we lovers of whisky were blessed with the magic that is the Kavalan Distillery. Master Blender Dr. Ian Cheng joins us in the Society to talk about the history, artistry and process of this spirit that Jim Murray called the best new whiskey of 2012. -- What we drank: Kavalan Distillers Edition Kavalan Port Cask Finish Kavalan King Car Conductor Kavalan Ex-Bourbon Oak Kavalan Sherry Oak Kavalan Vinho Barrique Kavalan Port Cask Strength -- Follow us: spiritguidesocietypodcast.com facebook.com/spiritguidesoc twitter.com/spiritguidesoc instagram.com/spiritguidesoc youtube.com/c/SpiritGuideSociety/?sub_confirmation=1 -- From Kavalan's website: 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. Kavalan Distillery is an entrepreneur’s dream come true. Mr. Tien-Tsai Lee, the founder of King Car conglomerate had long dreamed of producing a Taiwanese whisky, yet it was not until 2002 when Taiwan joined the WTO that his goal could be achieved. The distillery brings together a professional whisky R&D team with a world-class master blender, Ian Chang, as well as the expertise of renowned whisky specialist, the late Dr. Jim Swan. The team implements the highly specialized distilling and blending skills that King Car Group has cultivated for more than 30 years through beverage experience and knowledge. -- Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/