The Chuan is the malt whisky distillery built by the French group Pernod Ricard at Emeishan, in Sichuan, at the foot of Mount Emei, one of China's four sacred Buddhist mountains. Announced in 2019 with an investment of RMB 1 billion (about US$150 million), it began production in 2021, a year often called 'Year One' of Chinese whisky, and was the first fully operational prestige whisky distillery of an international spirits group in China.
The distillery was designed by the architecture firm Neri&Hu, houses a permanent installation by the contemporary Chinese artist Zhan Wang, and sources all its electricity from renewable energy.
The first whisky
The Chuan Pure Malt Whisky was released in December 2023. It is made from both European and Chinese barley and matured in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks and in casks of Chinese oak made for the distillery. Chinese rules require malt whisky to mature in oak for at least two years.