The Chuan
Type: Distillery and brand
The Chuan is Pernod Ricard’s malt whisky distillery in Emeishan, Sichuan Province, China, where production began in August 2021. Its architecture draws on the surrounding mountain and water, while its whisky programme brings together European and Chinese barley with American, Spanish and Chinese oak casks. [1][2][3]
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Name | 叠川 THE CHUAN Malt Whisky Distillery. [1] |
| Location | Emeishan, Sichuan Province, China, in the Emei Mountain setting. [1][2] |
| Owner group | Pernod Ricard, according to its own account, checked November 2026. The exact owning legal entity and effective date are not reliably established. [2] |
| First production | August 2021. [1] |
| Formal unveiling | 16 November 2021. [1] |
| First product | 叠川 The Chuan Pure Malt Whisky, introduced 12 December 2023. [2][3] |
| Business status | Current legal status not reliably established from the supplied record, November 2026. |
| Distilling status | Current operating status not reliably established, checked November 2026; production began in August 2021. [1] |
| Stills | A pair of Forsyths copper pot stills, according to trade reporting checked November 2026. [9][10] |
| Visitor access | Current access conditions not reliably established, checked November 2026; an experience centre is documented. [3][5] |
| Site status | Current status not reliably established from the supplied record, checked November 2026. |
What The Chuan is known for
The Chuan’s most distinctive combination is a Chinese setting, an international producer and a maturation programme that includes proprietary Chinese Single Oak casks, called 单岭, or Danling. Pernod Ricard places those casks alongside American ex-bourbon and Spanish ex-sherry wood in its account of the whisky. These are three named components of its approach, not three interchangeable descriptions of oak. [2]
The building is equally central to the project. Designed by China-based architects Neri&Hu, it incorporates boulders excavated while the site was being levelled, with a roof made from both recycled and new local clay tiles. Rather than importing every architectural material, the project made part of the ground itself into the walls. [1][3]
There is also an important distinction between the distillery and the whisky carrying its name. The released whisky is labelled Pure Malt, not single malt. Trade reports describe an imported Scotch component, but its share is not reliably established. The bottle should not be presented as containing only whisky distilled at The Chuan. [9][10]
Mountain, river and a building made from its site
Pernod Ricard explains 叠 as “rich and layered” and 川 as “river”, drawn from Sichuan. In the producer’s account, the name expresses mountain and water, and strength and softness. This is the company’s explanation of its chosen name, rather than a separate historical origin story. [1]
The location gives that explanation a physical setting. The distillery stands in Emeishan, in the Emei Mountain area identified by Pernod Ricard with the UNESCO World Heritage site; a 2026 trade account places it about two hours’ drive southwest of Chengdu. The same account gives the facility’s area as 7,350 square metres. [1][2][6]
Story box: A distillery built from its own ground
| Field | Record |
|---|---|
| Founding story | Pernod Ricard established The Chuan in Emeishan, with production underway from August 2021 and a formal unveiling on 16 November 2021. The producer’s account documents these milestones. [1] |
| Turning point | The introduction of The Chuan Pure Malt Whisky on 12 December 2023 brought the project from distillery production to its first named product. [2][3] |
| Documented record | Pernod Ricard’s FY24 report says excavated boulders were used in the exterior walls, with recycled and new local clay roof tiles. [3] |
| Claim and verdict | Documented: the exterior walls incorporate boulders excavated during site levelling, according to the producer’s published account. [3] |
| Evidence against or gap | The supplied record contains no contrary account of the wall materials. |
| Earliest source supplied for this claim | Pernod Ricard, Integrated Annual Report FY24, “China”. [3] |
| Last checked | Exact day not reliably established; the supplied record was checked in November 2026. |
Story sources and claim mapping: founding and production milestones: https://www.pernod-ricard.com/en/media/pernod-ricard-unveils-chuan-malt-whisky-distillery-emeishan. First product: https://www.pernod-ricard.com/en/media/pernod-ricard-introduces-chuan-china-s-first-prestige-malt-whisky. Wall materials, roof materials and the documented architectural claim: https://pernod-ricard.publispeak.com/integrated-annual-report-2023-2024/article/68/.
People, barley and distillation
Master distiller Dr Yang Tao is a Beijing native who studied distilling in Scotland with Chivas Brothers. Pernod Ricard’s account and subsequent trade coverage describe his training with the group’s heritage master distillers and his contribution of parameters for the distillery’s construction. His role connects the physical design with the production brief, rather than beginning only when the stills were ready. [1][6]
The producer documents the use of both European and Chinese barley. It also describes the water as coming from the Emei source, using the phrase “pristine water source of Emei”. That wording is the producer’s description, not an independent assessment of water quality. [1][2][3]
The production story is therefore not simply one of imported equipment placed in a new location. The documented raw material programme includes Chinese barley, while the maturation programme includes Chinese oak. Those choices are useful reference points when reading the producer’s account of what makes the project Chinese. [2][3]
Three cask traditions, including Chinese oak
American ex-bourbon, Spanish ex-sherry and Chinese Single Oak casks form the producer’s published cask programme. Pernod Ricard says the Chinese oak comes in very small quantities from protected Changbai Mountain in northeast China, and its FY24 report describes its Chinese oak casks as FSC-certified. These are attributed sourcing and certification claims. [2][3]
The producer associates that Chinese oak with sandalwood and mandarin peel notes. Those are Pernod Ricard’s sensory descriptions, not the results of a tasting conducted for this article. They nevertheless offer a more specific account of the intended wood contribution than a general promise of richness or complexity. [2]
A published visit report describes maturation taking place on site in a climate ranging from about 40°C in summer to below 0°C in winter. That is the visitor’s account of the conditions, not a temperature-monitoring study. It provides context for the warehouses without establishing a fixed rate of maturation or an equivalence with whisky aged elsewhere. [9]
The whisky releases and their labels
The first product, 叠川 The Chuan Pure Malt Whisky, was introduced on 12 December 2023. Trade coverage records the inaugural release at 40% ABV. Neither that product nor the other releases covered by the supplied producer material carries an age statement. [2][3][7][10]
The distinction between Pure Malt and single malt matters here because it concerns origin, not merely wording. Visit reports describe imported Scotch in the Pure Malt and report that no single malt had yet been released at the time of their coverage. The released Pure Malt is therefore not evidence that every component was distilled at the Emeishan site. [9][10]
A Travel Exclusive Edition is documented at 48.6% ABV, in a 700 ml bottle, and described as non-chill filtered. Trade reporting traces the roll-out from Mainland China in 2023 to selected Asian markets in 2024 and travel retail with China Duty Free Group in 2025. These are separate distribution milestones, not additional distillery opening dates. [8]
Pernod Ricard has also announced Pure Malt Finished in Pedro Ximénez Cask and Pure Malt Finished in Smoked Chinese Single Oak Cask. They belong in an account of the announced range, rather than a statement of current availability. In 2026, the producer also presented Hong Kong as a launch pad for broader international exposure, including a partnership with Chengdu Restaurant HK. [7]
A timeline of the project
The clearest chronology separates making spirit, unveiling the distillery and introducing the whisky. Combining those events into one “opening” date obscures what happened at each stage. [1][2][3]
| Date | Documented milestone |
|---|---|
| August 2021 | Production began. [1] |
| 16 November 2021 | Pernod Ricard formally unveiled the distillery. [1] |
| 12 December 2023 | The Chuan Pure Malt Whisky was introduced. [2][3] |
| 2023 | The experience centre opened alongside the whisky launch. [3][5] |
| 2025 | The documented travel-retail roll-out involved China Duty Free Group. [8] |
| 2026 | Pernod Ricard promoted The Chuan through Hong Kong and a dining partnership. [7] |
Visiting The Chuan
The Chuan Malt Whisky Distillery Experience Centre is described by Pernod Ricard as its first Brand Home in China. Published coverage documents tours, tastings and The Yan restaurant, bringing architecture, production and dining into the visitor programme. The site also contains Zhan Wang’s permanent installation, “Fractal Structure, Infinite Shan Shui”. [1][3][5][6]
Before arranging a visit, check the distillery’s official information for booking requirements, accessibility, age restrictions and the activities included. The documented experience is a useful starting point, but it is not a substitute for current access conditions. A visit can centre on the building, materials and artwork without requiring participation in a tasting.
Common mistakes
Dating the whole project to 2023: that year belongs to the first whisky release and the experience centre, not the start of production. Spirit production began in August 2021, followed by the formal unveiling that November. Keeping those events separate makes the chronology much easier to follow. [1][2][3]
Calling the released whisky a single malt: the label says Pure Malt, and trade accounts describe imported Scotch in the blend. The distinction is especially easy to miss because the brand and the distillery share a name. A distillery profile and a bottle’s component origins answer different questions. [9][10]
Where to go next
- Kavalan: continue exploring the distilleries covered by this hub.
- Omar and the Nantou Distillery: follow another article connecting a whisky name with its distillery.
- Ki One and the Three Societies Distillery: explore another distillery and brand profile.
Sources
[1] Pernod Ricard. Pernod Ricard unveils THE CHUAN Malt Whisky Distillery in Emeishan. Producer’s announcement, 2021. https://www.pernod-ricard.com/en/media/pernod-ricard-unveils-chuan-malt-whisky-distillery-emeishan
[2] Pernod Ricard. Pernod Ricard Introduces The Chuan: China's first prestige Malt Whisky. Producer’s announcement, 2023. https://www.pernod-ricard.com/en/media/pernod-ricard-introduces-chuan-china-s-first-prestige-malt-whisky
[3] Pernod Ricard. Integrated Annual Report 2023-2024: China. FY24 edition, 2024. https://pernod-ricard.publispeak.com/integrated-annual-report-2023-2024/article/68/
[5] Whisky Magazine. Pernod Ricard's Chinese distillery The Chuan launches first whisky. Trade report, 2023. https://www.whiskymag.com/articles/pernod-ricards-chinese-distillery-the-chuan-launches-first-whisky/
[6] The Drinks Business. Tourism and gastronomy stamp Chinese whisky on the global map. Trade report, July 2026. https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2026/07/tourism-and-gastronomy-stamp-chinese-whisky-on-the-global-map/
[7] Pernod Ricard via PR Newswire. From Chengdu to the World ... THE CHUAN through Hong Kong. Producer’s announcement, 2026. https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/from-chengdu-to-the-world-pernod-ricard-the-worldwide-leader-in-the-spirits-industry-showcases-chinese-whisky-the-chuan-through-hong-kong-302798872.html
[8] The Moodie Davitt Report. Pernod Ricard and CDFG unveil The Chuan, travel retail's first prestige Chinese malt whisky. Trade report, 2025. https://moodiedavittreport.com/pernod-ricard-and-cdfg-unveil-the-chuan-travel-retails-first-prestige-chinese-malt-whisky/
[9] Cellarr365, Chen Lim. A Brief Report on Visit to The Chuan Malt Whisky Distillery in Sichuan China. Visit report, 2025. https://cellarr365.com/a-brief-report-on-visit-to-the-chuan-%E5%8F%A0%E5%B7%9D-malt-whisky-distillery-in-sichuan-china/
[10] More Drams Less Drama. The Chuan & Goalong Chinese Whiskies. Trade report, 16 February 2026. https://moredramslessdrama.com/2026/02/16/the-chuan-goalong-chinese-whiskies/
This article is desk research based on verified fact sheet TOP-A660, distinguishing producer statements from published trade reporting; it includes no site visit or original tasting.
Last checked: November 2026