The whisky (and whiskey) market is a bit unstable these days, to say the least, with reports of declines in sales from scotch distilleries and producers, as well as the looming threat of tariffs causing further disruption under the second Trump administration. But there are those who are feeling bullish about the future of whisky in a global sense, and they are exploring some interesting alternative avenues of production. Case in point is the French family-owned Cognac house Camus, which just started making whisky at its new distillery in China.
Of course, Camus isn’t the only foreign drinks company getting in on the Chinese whisky game. As we’ve reported before, both Diageo and Pernod Ricard are opening distilleries there, and there are smaller independent producers like Nine Rivers Distillery making single malt in the country as well. According to a recent story that ran at the website the Spirits Business, Camus opened the new $30 million Guqi Distillery in partnership with Gujinggong, which is the fourth largest baiju brand in the world. If you’re unfamiliar with that term, baiju, the most popular spirit in China, is a clear alcohol made from fermented sorghum (or wheat, barley, or rice) that is sometimes very high proof and typically downed in shot form.
The Guqi Distillery will make two types of whisky: “premium single malts featuring ‘intense aromatic profiles’ and herbal whiskies infused with traditional Chinese herbs,” the Spirits Business reports. Production at the facility will draw from both Chinese and European techniques, including baiju-style fermentation, French Cognac blending and distillation methods, and Scottish-influenced cooperage and barrel maintenance.”
“At Guqi, we believe that greatness comes from drawing inspiration across time and cultures,” Ryan Camus, general manager of Guqi Distillery, told the website. “Through the combination of ancient Chinese wisdom and modern Western techniques, we are reimagining what is possible in whisky.” He went on to note that he believes that the terroir of the Bozhou region where the distillery is located has favorable attributes like “mineral-rich, naturally alkaline” water and significant seasonal shifts in climate. The latter will allow the whisky to mature faster in oak, similar to Indian whisky produced in Goa, which will result in increased complexity of flavor.
It will be some time before we get to taste any of the whisky coming out of Camus’s new distillery, or any of the other major operations producing malt whisky in China. But we will keep you updated about the progress of these new distilleries and how they weather what looks like a fairly unstable market over the next few years.
