The Taiwanese whisky that beat the Scots in a blind tasting: Award-winning Far Eastern single malt hits British high street for £40



Kavalan named New World Whisky Of The Year in The Whisky Bible

Featured in Ian Buxton's 2010 book 101 Whiskies To Try Before You Die



The single malt is being sold in Tesco for £40

The supermarket is planning on moving into the top-end whisky market

An award-winning single malt made in the Far East - which sent shockwaves through the conservative whisky world during blind taste tests - is going on sale on British high streets for the first time.

Kavalan, a premium whisky from Taiwan, came top in a blind taste test that included historic Scottish single malts a few years ago, and it was named New World Whisky Of The Year in The Whisky Bible, written by respected drinks connoisseur Jim Murray.

The drink - which has scooped up various other accolades, including a gold award from the Beverage Tasting Institute 2012, and a spot in Ian Buxton's 2010 tome 101 Whiskies To Try Before You Die - is now sitting pretty on the shelves of Tesco, where it is being sold for £40.

Kavalan whisky, made in Taiwan, has won several awards and blind taste tests as well as a coveted spot in Ian Buxton's 2010 whiskypedia, 101 Whiskies To Try Before You Die



From next week Kavalan will go on sale exclusively at stores across the UK as part of the supermarket's move into the growing top end of the whisky market. In the last year sales of premium whiskies priced at over £40 have soared by 70 per cent.



Tesco whisky buyer Oliver Stevens said: 'Kavalan is a first class single malt that has already surprised many connoisseurs in the very conservative whisky world for its quality and we believe it will do very well in Britain.'

He continued: 'Asian whisky is becoming increasingly popular in the UK and we have had great success with the Japanese whisky Yamakazi.

'Despite the economic downturn there is a major move into premium market whiskies right now as part of the treat culture which we're seeing in other areas of the food and drink business.



'Customers are trading up and are treating themselves to better quality products to consume at home.'

Old Pulteney is a 21-year-old Scotch, £80 Tesco is selling Scottish Glenmorangie Signet, £120 The Glenlivet 16 Year Old Nadurra Single malt which costs £45

The supermarket are also launching Old Pulteney, a 21-year-old Scotch that won The Whisky Bible's World Whisky of the Year in 2012, priced at £80.

Other top end whiskies in the new range include The Glenlivet 16 Year Old Nadurra Single malt which costs £45 and Glenmorangie Signet which will cost £120 - both from Scotland.



Tesco's Oliver Stevens added: 'This is just the start of a very exciting move for us into the world of premium whiskies and we will be sourcing more in the months to come.'



Kavalan will initially go on sale in 50 Tesco stores priced at £40 a bottle.