Nantou opened in 1977 in Nantou City, Taiwan, as a winery making wine, brandy, rum, and other fruit spirits.1,2,3 It is run by the state-owned Taiwan Tobacco & Liquor Corporation.2,4 In 2008 a malt whisky distillery with custom-made equipment was built on the same site.1,2,5
In 1978 the state Monopoly Bureau moved its grape wine making to Nantou, and output rose sharply.3 The plant manager later said staff were sent to Scotland in the 1980s to learn whisky making, and that this was put to use in 2008.1
A very pretty whisky, combining small apples, mint, toasted sesame and gentle olive oil, with a long, creamy finish of mint, apples and lemon.
Very fruity.
On September 21, 1999, the 921 earthquake knocked casks down in the brandy warehouses, and the strong spirit caught fire and exploded.3,6,7 5 brandy warehouses were wrecked and the fire burned for 3 days and 3 nights; racks were later cut from 20 tiers to at most 5.3,6,7
In 2002 the Monopoly Bureau gave way to the Taiwan Tobacco & Liquor Corporation.2,4 After trials, the distillery went into production in 2009.2,7,8 In 2019 TTL planned a European-style castle on the land of 3 brandy warehouses the earthquake destroyed, with a larger production line.7,9,10 By late 2024 a castle building stood on the old warehouse site.7,9,10
It makes its spirit from 100% imported two-row English malted barley and distils it twice, in the Scottish style.2 In 2018 it had 8 stainless steel washbacks, the tanks where fermentation takes place, and two pairs of copper pot stills.11 It sits in the mountains and is fed by fresh spring water.12 TTL says its spirit matures faster because temperatures are higher than in most other whisky-producing areas.2,12,13 As the site is also a fruit winery, it can move freshly emptied lychee and plum wine casks straight into whisky ageing.2,12,13
Every bottle in Peated with a vintage year.
Bottles in Peated distilled at Nantou, by release year.
| Year distilled | Bottles |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 7 |
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