Zhongyang

Considered China's first true craft whisky distillery, Zhongyang operates on a deliberately small scale in Fujian province -- a sharp contrast to the industrial-scale operations typical of Chinese spirits. Founded by whisky enthusiasts who trained in Scotland, the distillery uses imported Forsyths copper pot stills and focuses exclusively on single malt production. Located near the Wuyi Mountains, famous for producing some of China's finest teas, Zhongyang takes a terroir-driven approach, using the subtropical Fujian climate as a feature. Maturation in the warm, humid conditions produces whiskies with intense fruit and spice character in relatively short aging periods. A pioneering operation that proved Chinese craft whisky could exist alongside the country's ancient baijiu tradition.