Kavalan has claimed its second consecutive ‘Whisky of the Year’ title at the International Whisky Competition (IWC), with its Peatist Oloroso Sherry Cask Single Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky scoring 96.97 points. The Taiwanese distillery also secured eight places in the competition’s Top 15 Whiskies of 2026, while Head of Research and Development Zerose Yang was named Master Distiller of the Year.
The winning whisky is crafted from lightly peated malt and matured in Oloroso Sherry casks. It forms part of Kavalan’s Peatist Series, which explores the balance between delicate peat smoke and the distillery’s signature subtropical maturation character.
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Master tasting notes for the winning expression were provided by Octavio Bernal, Master of Scotch at the Council of Whiskey Masters.
“The nose opens with oily leather, an earthy tea blend and a hint of anise, followed by grilled mango, light ash and a touch of white pepper,” Bernal said. “On the palate, chocolate-covered raisins, chewy figs and a delicate smoky barbecue tang come forward. The finish lingers with dark leather, juicy cassis and lightly roasted cocoa nibs.”
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The IWC judges every entry through a double-blind tasting process.
“Kavalan has accomplished a rare feat by winning Whisky of the Year two years in a row at one of the industry’s most demanding blind tasting competitions,” said Max A. Solano, director of the International Whisky Competition. “The Kavalan Peatist Oloroso Sherry Cask distinguished itself with exceptional depth, balance and complexity.”
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READ THE STORYLast year, Kavalan Solist Fino Sherry claimed the same global top title with 97.04 points.
“At Kavalan, the consistent pursuit of breakthrough and innovation have been at the heart of everything we do,” said YT Lee, chairman of King Car Group. “Every award reflects the passion and dedication of our entire team. We are honoured that our commitment continues to be recognised by the world’s most respected whisky competitions, inspiring us to keep exploring new possibilities for Taiwanese single malt.”
Kavalan has now won 11 world’s best titles over the past 11 years.
The distillery, located in Yilan County, has also collected eight Distiller/Distillery of the Year honors and more than 1,000 international gold medals to date.
