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Kavalan whisky

16 full-size bottles (50cl to 1 litre) in stock, with the best current price from the UK retailers we check.

Known for

The flavour families that most often turn up for Kavalan, based on its available bottles.

A guide to the house style rather than a promise: individual releases can differ.

About the distillery

Region
Yilan, Taiwan
Founded
2005
Status
Producing
Capacity
9 million litres of pure alcohol a year (stated capacity, not actual output); as recorded October 2026. Number 21 of 169 by stated capacity.
Owner
Owned by King Car Group (since 2005), an independent; as recorded October 2026
SMWS code
139, the number on Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottlings (SMWS code decoder)

Read the full history on Whiskipedia

Secondary Market Barometer

6,585 lots sold · £969,092.51 hammer total

How Kavalan bottles have traded at Scotch Whisky Auctions, Whisky Auctioneer and Whisky Hammer between May 2011 and October 2026. Hammer prices exclude buyer's premium, VAT and delivery, except that a Whisky Hammer price includes 20% VAT when a VAT-registered business sells the lot.

Trading volume
#42Often tradedof 181 distilleries by lots sold
Bids per lot
18.2Below-average biddingWhisky Auctioneer only, against 20.5 across all distilleries
Median hammer price
£115.00average £147.17, pulled up by the top lots
Independent bottlings
10%of lots (669), the rest official bottlings (5,916)Median hammer: official £110.00, independent £200.00
Highest hammer prices
BottleSoldHammer
SMWS 139.1 Kavalan NAS2020£1,900.00
Kavalan - Artist Series Paul Chiang (4x1 Litre)2022£1,675.00
Kavalan 2006 Selection Sherry Cask #055 - & The Nectar2022£975.00
Most often sold
BottleLotsMedian
Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique872£120.00
Kavalan Solist Sherry Cask522£115.00
Kavalan Solist Port Cask201£100.00
Top independent bottlers
BottlerLotsMedian
La Maison du Whisky294£170.00
Scotch Malt Whisky Society228£260.00
The Nectar55£150.00

Past auction results, not a valuation or a guide to future prices. Figures compiled 12 November 2026.

Before comparing a hammer price with a shop price, add the fees: buying whisky at auction vs retail works through them. Auction medians for many brands have fallen since their 2021 and 2022 peaks, as what 1.6 million auction lots show about whisky prices sets out.

Questions

What is the cheapest Kavalan whisky?
The cheapest Kavalan whisky is Kavalan Concertmaster 50cl (40% ABV, 50cl), at £42.00 from Tyndrum Whisky. That is £46.50 delivered to the UK mainland for one bottle. Next cheapest: Kavalan Distillery Select No. 1 Single Malt Whisky (£42.62) and Kavalan Distillery Select No. 2 Single Malt Whisky (£52.97).
How much does Kavalan whisky cost?
Kavalan whisky costs from £42.00 to £499.95, with a median of £89.95 for a full-size bottle (50cl to 1 litre). The dearest is Kavalan Solist Pedro Ximenez Single Cask #032A Whisky.
What is Taiwan's best-known distillery?
Kavalan, owned by the King Car Group in Yilan County, south-east of Taipei. Its first spirit ran on 11 March 2006, with advice from the Scottish whisky scientist Dr Jim Swan. About ten years after opening, it had grown into one of the largest malt distilleries in the world.
Why does whisky mature faster in India or Taiwan?
Heat speeds up the exchange between spirit and wood, and it also drives up evaporation. In Scotland the angels’ share is about 1 to 2% a year, but Amrut in Bangalore estimates losses of up to 12% a year and Kavalan in Taiwan has recorded up to 15%. That is why many Indian and Taiwanese malts are bottled young, and why very old bottlings are rare.