NEWS
LEADING BAIJIU MAKER LANGJIU FIRES UP CHINA’S LARGEST WHISKY DISTILLERY
By Staff Reporter
9-11-2026
Source: Langjiu
Chinese baijiu heavyweight Langjiu Group (郎酒集團) has officially started distilling whisky at its new Emei Aura Estate at the foot of Mount Emei, marking one of the most ambitious single malt whisky launches by a top domestic spirits player and creating China’s biggest capacity malt whisky facility to date.
The estate entered production at a ceremony held on last Friday, after around three and a half years of development since the project was first unveiled in 2022.
Designed for an annual output of 10 million litres of pure alcohol, the site forms Langjiu’s third flagship distillery, alongside its sauce‑flavoured baijiu Langjiu Manor and Longma Estate for mixed‑aroma baijiu, completing the group’s three‑estate strategy.
Langjiu framed the whisky venture as a strategic bridge into the global spirits market, not as a side pivot away from its core baijiu business.
Wang Bowei, General Manager of Langjiu Co, said baijiu and whisky share foundational principles, that are respect for terroir, disciplined craft and long‑term maturation.
“This is a natural extension of our pursuit of exceptional liquid, rather than a new track,” Wang told attendees at the launch event.
Built on the slopes of UNESCO World Heritage Site Mount Emei, the distillery sits near the 30th parallel north, where cool, misty mountain conditions are seen as favourable for slow whisky maturation.
The project brings in international distilling expert Iain McAlister, former master distiller at Scotland’s Glen Scotia.
McAlister has taken the role of Chief Distiller and General Manager for Emei Aura Estate. The distillery follows traditional Scottish malt whisky production workflows while aiming to build a distinct Chinese terroir expression tied to Emei’s local environment.
The facility is equipped with copper stills, dedicated oak barrel handling and a tracked cask storage system, with new spirit set to mature for a minimum of three years before bottling.
Group Chairman Wang Junlin signalled long‑term commitment, saying Langjiu aims to help build an internationally recognised Chinese whisky region, rather than chasing quick product releases.
Full build‑out of the wider estate complex is expected to stretch to 2030, with total projected investment potentially reaching RMB 10 billion for the full liquor and tourism development.
China’s domestic whisky sector has expanded rapidly over the past five years, but most projects are small in scale.
With annual revenue exceeding RMB20 billion (USD3b), Langjiu’s entry signals rising confidence among major baijiu houses that malt whisky can serve as an export friendly vehicle to introduce Chinese spirits know‑how to global trade buyers and consumers.
Industry observers note the long maturation timeline means commercial bottlings from Emei Aura will not reach market for several years, leaving the distillery in a cask building phase for now.
(the writer can be contacted at: info@thewinechronicle.com)
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
**IF YOU THINK THE WINE CHRONICLE IS WORTH SUPPORTING, PLEASE MAKE A DONATION TO HELP US IMPROVE AND CONTINUE OUR WORK**
TRENDING│ FOCUS│ MISSION│ ABOUT US│ CONTACT
| 