Spirit style
Chinese Whisky
中国威士忌Zhōngguó wēishìjì
The world's newest whisky country, from Mount Emei to the Yunnan highlands
- Category
- Malt whisky
- Home region
- Sichuan, Yunnan, Fujian, Anhui and more
- Classification
- Malt whisky must be aged in oak for at least two years (Chinese regulations)
- Since
- 2020s
Taste profile
Sweetness
DrySweetSweetness: 3 out of 5Intensity
DelicateIntenseIntensity: 3 out of 5Body
LightFullBody: 3 out of 5Finish
ShortLongFinish: 3 out of 5
Aromas
- malt
- vanilla
- dried fruit
- spice
- oak
China is the newest major whisky producer in the world. Until a few years ago it had almost no whisky industry; since 2021, often called 'Year One' of Chinese whisky, the world's two largest drinks groups have opened distilleries there, Pernod Ricard's The Chuan in Sichuan and Diageo's YunTuo in Yunnan, alongside fast-growing Chinese producers such as Laizhou. What makes Chinese whisky distinctive is its use of local character: Chinese barley, Chinese oak casks and even casks that once held rice wine.
A booming market
China's thirst for whisky has grown fast: according to the Scotch Whisky Association, Scotch exports to China rose by 165% in value between 2019 and 2023. Local production is now catching up.
The pioneers
Pernod Ricard's The Chuan, at the foot of Mount Emei in Sichuan, began production in 2021 and released its first whisky in December 2023. Diageo's YunTuo, at about 2,100 m in Yunnan, started operating in late 2024. The largest domestic producer is Laizhou, in Qionglai, Sichuan, which according to China Daily accounts for around 80% of China's whisky production.
A Chinese identity
Chinese distillers are developing their own style: The Chuan matures part of its whisky in Chinese oak casks, and Laizhou finishes whisky in casks that held huangjiu, Chinese rice wine, giving sherried, rice-like notes. Chinese regulations require malt whisky to mature in oak for at least two years.
How to taste it
Most Chinese whiskies are still young, so expect light, fresh and fruity spirits rather than deep, old malts. Taste them neat first with a drop of water, then in a highball with soda and ice, the way many Chinese drinkers enjoy whisky.
Where to find it
Most Chinese whisky is still sold mainly in China. In 2023 The Whisky Exchange became the first UK retailer to stock Chinese whisky, with malts from the Goalong distillery in Hunan. As the new distilleries release more whisky, more bottles will reach Europe.
What to watch
The key question for the coming years is whether Chinese whisky will find its own identity. Local barley, Chinese oak, rice-wine casks and the know-how of baijiu distillers are all possible ingredients of a style that could only come from China.
Producers
Hunan
Goalong
A Changsha whisky distillery, the first Chinese whisky stocked in the UK
Sichuan
The Chuan
叠川
Pernod Ricard's malt whisky distillery at the foot of sacred Mount Emei
Sichuan
Laizhou Distillery
China's largest whisky producer, ageing malt in rice wine casks
Yunnan
YunTuo
云拓
Diageo's single malt distillery at 2,100 metres in Yunnan
Bottles
How to serve
Neat, with a few drops of water, or in a highball, the most popular way to drink whisky in China.
Pairs with
Food pairings
- Lighter styles suit a highball with dim sum; richer, cask-finished whiskies pair with roast meats and aged cheeses.
Sources
- Why China is imperative to Bruichladdich's growth — The Drinks Business, 2026
- How China is emerging as a whisky-producing powerhouse — Whisky Magazine
- Where next for whisky? — The Drinks Business, 2021
- Pernod Ricard launches The Chuan whisky in China — Drinks International, 2023