When the Kavalan distillery opened in Taiwan 20 years ago, it was at a time when the world of whisky production was truly widening. More and more countries were coming on board, joining the traditional whisky producing nations like Scotland, the US, and Japan.
But it wasn’t just the fact that a new distillery was opening up in a country that had never made whisky before — the revolutionary element was lying in wait, in the form of casks which would help to build the brand’s name and make it an award-winning player on the global whisky scene.
These casks were something that had never been seen before. In a space where oak casks are a predominant factor in the final flavour profile of a whisky, it was a hugely exciting development to have not only a new whisky-making country on the scene, but a new way of maturing the spirit.
Named STR casks — abbreviated from shaved, toasted, recharred — these were the brainchild of the late Dr Jim Swan (more on him later). Made from ex-wine casks, marrying up with a particularly fruity spirit profile in an extra humid climate, they helped to catapult Kavalan whisky onto the world awards stage. How, after only four years, could a whisky develop so much depth of flavour and feeling of maturity?
“We take pride in having pioneered a technique that is now used worldwide. When we began, we did not foresee STR casks becoming a global practice, but today it shows Taiwan’s contribution is firmly part of whisky history,” explains Britney Chen, former brand ambassador for Kavalan whisky.
The idea behind STR casks was to take the plethora of ex-red wine casks on the market — sometimes made of American oak, sometimes made from French oak — and put them through a process whereby the casks’ pores are reopened and rejuvenated for the new make spirit going in them. The first part — shaving — sees the inside of the barrel scraped back between two and five centimetres to remove the main red wine elements, while not going so far as to lose it all. The toasting element helps to break down the wood structure to bring out wood sugars, while recharring with an intense flame helps to caramelise the wood sugars, create more wood surface area, and provide a layer of carbon filtration for the incoming spirit.
Today, these casks are used at distilleries across the world — from newer set ups like the White Peak Distillery in Derbyshire, Nc’nean in Scotland, and Macaloney’s Distillery in Canada, to more established ones like Kilchoman, which also celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
And what do they all have in common? They were in some way linked to Dr Jim Swan.
For those out there who haven’t heard of the pre-eminent whisky expert, Dr Swan was involved in the whisky space from the 1970s, working as a researcher at the Pentlands Scotch Whisky Research Ltd (the body that eventually became the Scotch Whisky Research Institute). After retiring, he became a consultant, working tirelessly to help develop distilleries across the world, fine-tuning and putting and individual stamp on new set ups, and mentoring and encouraging those wanting to be innovative at the highest quality possible. When he passed suddenly in 2017, it was to the great detriment not only to his family and friends, but the whisky industry. At the age of 75, he was taking on more projects than ever, inspiring more people daily.
It was he who worked with Kavalan Distillery at the time of its founding to develop these STR casks. Recognising that newer distillery set ups didn’t necessarily want to wait upwards of 10 years before their first release, he pioneered STR casks to help impart a richer, more rounded flavour profile in a surprisingly short period of time.
One of those inspired by this innovation was Daniel Szor, founder of the Cotswolds Distillery in England.
“My love affair with STR casks all started in Paris, on 27 June 2013 to be exact. I attended a private whisky tasting some friends had bid for at a charity auction at the original La Maison de Whisky boutique in Paris’s eighth arrondissement. I was a member of their Club des Amateurs de Whisky, led by the indomitable Jean-Marc Bellier, who ran the shop for over 25 years until his retirement — my own whisky Mr Miyagi.
“When I told him that his enthusiasm for whisky and his wise tutelage had a pretty big effect on me, as I was building a distillery in the Cotswolds, he took the news completely in stride and said, ‘Well in that case, cher Daniel, we’d better focus on world whiskies this evening in your honour.’”
That evening, Szor tried the now-famous Vinho Barrique from Kavalan’s Soloist collection. It was love at first sip.
“I was blown away — even more so when Jean-Marc announced that it was made in Taiwan, and only four years old! From then on it became my favourite ‘parlour trick’ to play on my whisky buddies, all of whom were certain it was a wine-casked Speyside whisky with a double-digit age statement.”
When Szor was building the Costwolds Distillery, he was introduced to Dr Swan, who took him under his wing and helped him fine-tune the new make and cask programme. After much experimentation, the team landed on a 70/30 split of STR and first-fill bourbon casks.
“It offered all the wonderful vinous, fruity, and chocolatey notes of the STR, but added a bit of extra honey and vanilla — and to this day it remains the recipe behind our Signature single malt,” he adds.
Further north in Scotland, Nc’nean Distillery followed a similar path in terms of working with Dr Swan during its set up and establishment. STR casks have played a key role in the maturation methods at the distillery ever since.
“Jim’s initial vision for our core recipe is reflected in our warehouse split, which is 41 per cent STR red wine, 41 per cent ex-bourbon, seven per cent ex-sherry, and one per cent other. We only use the first three types in the core recipe, and in slightly different proportions than originally suggested, but their core roles remain the same with the STR-red wine casks adding depth and complexity,” explains blender Matthew Hastings.
At the White Peak Distillery in Derbyshire, Tom Lindsey — who heads up sales and events — says that while they didn’t work directly with Dr Swan throughout the whole project, he did provide a lot of advice to the founders remotely early on.
“Sadly he passed away over a year before the distillery was eventually commissioned. Having said that, some of our whiskies have undeniably been influenced by him through the use of his STR cask concept, which makes up around a third of our warehouse inventory, and therefore we are contributing to the perpetuation of his deserved legacy,” says Lindsey.
At White Peak, the aim has been to create a whisky with huge flavour, that’s fruit forward and lightly peated, created through the use of brewer’s yeast and long fermentations. When the team were first developing their recipes, STR casks were still fairly new, but they started working with a supplier in Porto which helped them develop a hybrid style that uses American oak staves, and new French oak heads. They use these alongside traditional STR casks and ex-bourbon casks, amongst other casks in their inventory.
“STR casks can impart some of the pleasant, sweet notes from a wine cask, without the astringency that can sometimes accompany it, and a sweet cask profile is often a good pairing when peat is present,” explains Lindsey.
Now, 20 years on from Kavalan’s establishment, and eight years following Dr Swan’s passing, it is clear the legacy of both remains intertwined.
“Our 20th anniversary is one of both reflection and renewal. STR casks symbolise the pioneering spirit that earned Kavalan global recognition and continues to represent our commitments to quality, innovation, and Yilan’s terroir. As we look ahead, STR remains a cornerstone of our identity,” says Chen.
For Szor, Dr Swan’s legacy is in both his contribution to the success of a plethora of new distillery builds around the world, and his incredible knowledge of wood and its interaction with the spirit.
“In short, Jim could elegantly transfer 40 years of learning into a few weeks of mentoring, making it all look easy and understandable. And the STR was to me one of his greatest contributions,” says Szor.
At Nc’nean, Hastings says that everywhere he looks, he can see the fingerprint of a man who was not only extremely knowledgeable but willing to share that expertise widely in the pursuit of excellence. “I see his impact daily not just at our distillery, but all over the whisky world. In an industry where cask maturation is so critical, and is often the main element communicated by producers, it’s no surprise that STRs take the spotlight in Jim’s legacy. So many of the distilleries he worked with use them, and in a testament to the quality of Jim’s work, so many of these distilleries are thriving today.
“Whisky is not just casks though, and neither is Jim’s legacy. Ask any of these distilleries about their wort, their wash, their spirit, and a clear pattern will start to form. Not identical, but considered, suited to each operation and style, and unmistakably the work of someone who truly understood what they were doing.”
From cask to creation, these whiskies tell a story that forms connections across the world. It may have started at the Kavalan Distillery in Taiwan, but today the roots of Dr Swan’s legacy and STR casks weave together a tale of innovation and inspiration for so many. Something all whisky lovers can, no doubt, raise a glass to.
