A Spirit Evolution: From Tobacco to World-Class Whiskey
亞洲的哈瓦那？？不產麥子但有世界頂尖威士忌品牌？
台灣除了科技產業之外，台灣也有著很強的農業技術。這篇文章我們將會提到台灣的雪茄菸業以及台灣威士忌。
Once upon a time, Taiwan produced a great amount of tobacco, dubbed as “the Havana of East Asia”. While this agricultural sector completely died out since the participation of WTO, the rise of fine whiskey carves out a new path on this very land that doesn’t produce barley.
Most of you know Taiwan from its renowned semiconductor industry. In this episode, we will delve into Taiwan’s strong agricultural expertise, looking into the faded tobacco industry and its flourishing whiskey production today.
Image credit: https://zjnews.zjol.com.cn/zjnews/wznews/202207/t20220718_24533675.shtml
The Havana of East Asia
Following Japanese colonization, Taiwan implemented a strict tobacco and alcohol monopoly system, governing the cultivation and production of tobacco. Prior to Taiwan's accession to the WTO and the dismantling of the monopoly system, the country had five major tobacco-producing regions. However, since the lifting of restrictions in 2002, the number of tobacco farmers in Taiwan has steadily declined, culminating in the Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation's final purchase of domestically grown tobacco in 2017, marking the end of Taiwan's tobacco industry.
日本殖民台灣後建立了菸酒專賣制度。這套許可制度嚴格控管菸農種植的菸葉品種，並對種植過程、總量、肥料、株樹和種植間距等進行嚴格規範，有點類似法國紅酒常提到的AOC制度。
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在台灣加入WTO取消專賣制度前，台灣總共有五大煙葉產區。然而自2002解禁後，台灣的菸農持續減少，直到2017年，台灣菸酒公司最後一次採購國產菸葉，標誌著台灣的煙業正式結束。
While Taiwan predominantly cultivated tobacco for regular cigarettes, only the regions of Chaozhou and Wanluan in Pingtung County grew tobacco for cigars. From 1907 to 1944, the cultivation of cigar tobacco reached its peak, covering an area of up to 216 hectares.
台灣過去主要種植的菸葉多為普通香菸所使用，只有屏東的潮州和萬巒兩個產地種植雪茄菸葉。在1907年至1944年的時期，種植雪茄菸葉的最大面積達216甲。
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Cigar Production under Tobacco and Liquor Corporation's
With the closure of the Taipei Tobacco Factory, cigar production shifted to the fully equipped Songshan Tobacco Factory (the venue for the 2024 Suit Walk). The flagship cigar brand, 'Gentleman,' reached its production peak in 1977. However, the influx of imported cigars eventually surpassed Taiwan's domestically crafted top-tier cigars, which were previously favored as diplomatic gifts.
台北菸廠廢廠後雪茄的生產就轉移到了規模跟設備齊全的松山菸廠（2024年Suit Walk舉辦場地），當時推出的雪茄品項眾多並因應不同客群有不同的產品。紳士牌雪茄則是當時雪茄品牌的代表，並在1977年達到生產高峰。開放洋菸進口後，國外的高檔雪茄最終擊敗了當時國內手工捲制的最頂級雪茄系列。該品牌雪茄在此之前也多作為外賓禮品使用。
Image source: https://www.archives.gov.tw/ALohas/ALohasColumn.aspx?c=2809
A Tale of Lost Opportunities in the Cigar Industry
Taiwan boasts excellent agricultural techniques and fertile land resources, similar to Cuba. While Taiwan once had numerous sugarcane fields yielding abundant sugar, it also shares latitudinal conditions suitable for tobacco cultivation, akin to Cuba. Unfortunately, despite Taiwan's ideal conditions for nurturing a cigar industry, including fertile land, favorable climate, and expertise, the agricultural shift away from tobacco, driven by rising labor costs during industrialization, led to the gradual demise of the industry. Nevertheless, with the current widespread ability to grow tobacco, Taiwan may one day reclaim its position as a producer of fine cigars.
台灣擁有優良的農業技術跟肥沃的土地資源。如同古巴一樣。台灣過去也有著很多的甘蔗田並盛產蔗糖。同時台灣也跟古巴位處相同的緯度上，有著適合的條件種植菸葉。可惜的是，縱使台灣有著培養雪茄產業絕佳的土地、氣候、以及技術。但台灣在工業化的過程中，農業淡出產業結構，在勞動力成本提高的情況下，需要高度勞動力的菸業逐漸被淘汰。但也許有一天，在人人都能種植菸葉的現在，只要有心相信台灣一定能再次產出自己本土的雪茄。
Overcoming the Barley Barriers
Speaking of cigars inevitably brings whiskey to mind, often paired with cigar aficionados' indulgence. Despite Taiwan's lack of barley production, how did it manage to produce world-class whiskey?
As mentioned earlier regarding tobacco, Taiwan's whiskey history traces back to the Japanese colonial era, primarily under government control before liberalization. Initially, whiskey offerings were merely products with added flavorings, not considered authentic whiskey. It wasn't until ten years later that experiments with high-quality whiskey production commenced. However, due to equipment limitations, the quality fell short of imported whiskey standards. During the American aid period to meet the needs of stationed US troops, Taiwan began importing whiskey. However, domestic whiskey production plans stagnated.
說到雪茄，就不得不提到很多雪茄客品嚐雪茄時常搭配的飲品，威士忌。台灣是一個不產麥子的國家。那台灣怎麼可以產出世界頂尖的威士忌？如同剛剛講菸葉提到的，台灣的威士忌歷史也可追溯至日治時期，在開放之前主要由政府專營。
最早的威士忌品項僅是添加香精的產品，並未被視為正統的威士忌。十年後，高級威士忌的釀造試驗才開始，但由於設備限制，其品質無法與進口威士忌匹敵。美援時期為滿足駐台美軍的需求，台灣開始引進進口威士忌，本土威士忌生產計畫又開始停滯。
In the 1970s, as the economy surged, whiskey demand skyrocketed, prompting the government to restart its whiskey research and development program. Nevertheless, with surplus Scotch whiskey production at the time, producing whiskey domestically became relatively costly. Consequently, the government began producing blended whiskey, combining Scotch whiskey with Taiwanese whiskey. However, Taiwan still lacked its own whiskey brand.
70年代經濟起飛，對威士忌的需求急遽增加，公賣局再度啟動了威士忌的研究中程計畫，並派員出國進修。然而當時蘇格蘭威士忌生產過剩，自製威士忌又變成相對高成本的選項。公賣局開始製造混合蘇格蘭原酒與台灣威士忌的調和威士忌。但台灣依然未出現自產的威士忌商品。
Image source: https://www.archives.gov.tw/ALohas/ALohasColumn.aspx?c=2809
Industry Reborn with WTO Participation
Following Taiwan's accession to the WTO and the abolition of the tobacco and alcohol monopoly system, private liquor production was permitted. The Kuang Chuan Group promptly obtained a distillery license and established the Kavalan Whiskey Distillery in Yilan.
Why Yilan? Besides an existing factory, Yilan provided excellent water sources, crucial for producing superior whiskey, especially in a non-barley-producing country like Taiwan. Taiwan's climatic conditions for whiskey production significantly differ from Scotland, England, or even Japan. Therefore, Kavalan invested heavily in addressing the technological and equipment challenges posed by the climate, importing Scotch distillation equipment, hiring overseas professional consultants, and leveraging its past beverage development experience to extensively test and adjust. Even the oak barrels influencing whiskey flavor were directly imported, employing oak barrel toasting techniques independently within the distillery.
台灣加入WTO後解除菸酒專賣制度並開放民間製酒。金車集團隨即獲得酒廠營業執照，並在宜蘭建立噶瑪蘭威士忌酒廠。
為什麼選擇宜蘭？除了集團原本在宜蘭就有工廠以外，另一個原因就是宜蘭提供了優良的水源，也是製作優良威士忌最重要的元素。因為台灣不生產麥子，所以水源就更加重要。台灣的氣候生產威士忌的條件與蘇格蘭、英國甚至日本相差甚大，因此噶瑪蘭也投入大量資金解決技術和設備解決氣候造成的影響，進口蘇格蘭蒸餾器並聘用海外專業顧問，結合自身過去開發飲料的經驗大量測試與調整。連影響威士忌風味的橡木桶都直接引進烘烤橡木桶技術並在酒廠中獨立完成。
Image source: https://blog.udn.com/cty43115/157810920
In 2010, Kavalan Whiskey shocked the international scene by winning the championship at a blind tasting event, surpassing both England and Scotland. Subsequently, Taiwan's whiskey industry witnessed exponential growth over the next decade, with Kavalan emerging as one of the world's major whiskey producers, propelling other Taiwanese small and medium-sized distilleries to continue investing in whiskey research and development.
2010年，噶瑪蘭威士忌在盲測品酒會中擊敗英格蘭和蘇格蘭贏得冠軍，震驚國際。此後十年內，台灣的威士忌產業取得跳躍性成長，葛瑪蘭成為全球威士忌大廠之一，帶動其他台灣中小型酒廠持續投入威士忌研發。
Despite being a small island, Taiwan is renowned for its rich cultural heritage and resilient spirit. Despite lacking superior natural conditions, the people of this land continue to toil quietly, perpetuating their expertise in their respective fields
儘管台灣是一個小島，卻以豐富的人文內涵和堅忍的特質著稱。即便缺乏優越的自然條件，這片土地上的人們仍默默耕耘，在各自的領域持續發揚專業。
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