The Wide Wide World of Whisky: Exploring Taiwan BY DAVIN DEKERGOMMEAUX You likely know Davin de Kergommeaux as the leading expert on Canadian whisky, so it might surprise you to learn that for more than a quarter of a century, he’s also been chasing other whiskies and their stories across 6 of the 7 continents because it’s never too far for a great dram…
It’s a long haul from Ottawa to Taipei. Nearly a full day in planes and airports ends with an hour’s train ride downtown from Taoyuan Airport. For the dedicated whisky lover though, it’s a good use of time, and not just because of the renowned Kavalan distillery ninety minutes away in Yuanshan Township, Yilan. Vibrant whisky scenes in Taipei, Taichung, and beyond include specialty bars, knowledgeable bartenders, Taiwan-exclusive whiskies and a strong connoisseur community. They take whisky seriously here and they know the good stuff. More than that, palates cultivated on local fruits and vegetables, seafood, stinky tofu and sublimely blended teas easily detect nuances that others might miss in their drams. Whisky shops in both cities offer rare and exclusive Scotch, Japanese single malts and American bourbons at reasonable prices.
and watching their reactions. “Elegant,” exclaimed iconic barkeep Steven Lin, eyes popping at his first taste of Canadian Rockies 10. “Slowly matured into a yin and yang that reconcile bourbon, oak,
vanilla, and toffee. I must be getting old,” he went on, “I like the 21-year-old even better.” The whiskies’ complexity and depth of flavour continued to impress Lin, whose L’arrière- cour (Backyard) bar tops the A-list for Taipei’s whisky elite. There, bartender Silence Chen pours hundreds of fine and rare old drams, from St. Magdalene to Kininvie.
One of Taipei’s most respected whisky connoisseurs, Lin knows his whisky. Still, could his enthusiasm for a 10-year-old Canadian whisky spring from a desire to please a Canadian visitor? Sensing my uncertain take on Lin’s and other connoisseurs’ unilateral enthusiasm for these whiskies, my host patiently explained, not with words, but by demonstration.
“Slowly matured into a yin and yang
that reconcile bourbon, oak, vanilla,
and toffee. I must be getting old”
Launching Canadian Rockies whiskies in Taiwan meant pouring Canadian drams for bartenders
Returning from a street vendor’s stall with a bag of local fruits, he offered one after another,
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the whisky explorer magazine
FALL 2023
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