Winners of the 2025 Icons of Whisky China
Mount Emei, a region celebrated as the future capital of Chinese whisky, hosted a remarkable event earlier this month. The CIMC Chunke·BRIGGS 2025 Icons of Whisky Awards ceremony and Mount Emei whisky industry investment promotion conference took place from March 7 to 9. This event, sponsored by the leading whisky equipment brand, drew significant attention from China’s alcoholic beverage industry leaders, global experts, and other distinguished figures in the field.
The gathering not only highlighted the growing significance of Chinese whisky but also offered a platform for fostering international connections within the whisky culture. The selection process, which included 100 contenders, showcased both innovation and exceptional service from professional organizations. Several team awards were presented, including honors for sales, marketing, production, and visitor center teams.
Among the awardees, The Chuan (Emeishan) Malt Whisky Co., Ltd. was recognized as the “Sustainable Development Distillery of the Year,” while the Luzhou Distillery Spirit Culture Experience Center earned the “Visitor Center of the Year” title. Liuyang Gaolang Spirit Brewing Co., Ltd. claimed the “Distiller of the Year” award, and Mr. Fang Kisheng of Penglai Wolin Oak Barrel Co., Ltd. received the “Cooper of the Year” honor.
The event also highlighted the contributions of Shanhe Distilling Spirit Industry (Pu’er) Co., Ltd. and Qingdao Xunzhibao Wine Co., Ltd., which were commended for their roles in advancing China’s whisky industry. Luzhou Distillery Barrel Factory, with its advanced facilities and innovative practices, received high recognition.
As Mount Emei continues to emerge as a beacon of whisky production in China, the world watches with curiosity, eager to see how this dynamic region will influence the global stage. This event marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of China’s whisky culture, blending tradition with innovation while setting the stage for future achievements in the industry.
Distillery of the Year
The Winner
Liuyang Gaolang Spirit Brewing Co., Ltd.
The Goalong Liquor brand was established in 2011, with its name derived from founder Mr. Gao Kailang. The English name “Goalong” is a homophone of the Chinese name, signifying continuous forward progress—the entrepreneurial spirit of Goalong Liquor. The same year, Goalong Liquor Group was registered in London, with the UK division primarily responsible for international business, intellectual property, and legal affairs. Hunan Goalong Liquor Co., Ltd. was established in 2013 and installed whisky distillation units in 2014. In early 2018, construction began on a large single malt whisky production base—Liuyang Goalong Liquor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.—in Liuyang’s Two-Type Industrial Park. This fourth factory invested by Goalong Liquor Group covers 80 mu (about 13 acres), with 35 mu already completed in the first phase, comprising 26,000 square meters of standard factory buildings. The project plans 13 main buildings with a total construction area of 60,000 square meters. The base’s main business encompasses international spirits distillation including whisky, craft beer brewing, natural rice wine production, packaged drinking water and functional beverages.
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Fujian Daqin Luyi Wine Co., Ltd.
Fujian Daqin Luyi Liquor is one of the first single malt whisky distilleries in mainland China. Located on the southern slope of Mount Daqin at 1,544.8 meters, it covers a planned area of 260 mu with a total investment of 1 billion yuan. To produce premium Chinese single malt whisky and pay tribute to the malt whisky industry, Daqin’s process follows the benchmark of the whisky industry—Scottish whisky. Since 2020, whisky produced by the Daqin Luyi distillery has been marketed under the Daqin Single Malt Whisky brand.
Sustainable Distillery of the Year
sponsored by UMCO Briggs
THE WINNER
The Chuan (Emeishan) Malt Whisky Co., Ltd.
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Yuntu Single Malt Whisky Distillery
MASTER DISTILLER OF THE YEAR
The Winner
Wang Haibo – Shanhe Xinxin Wine Industry (Puer) Co., Ltd.
Shanhe Distilling Spirit Industry (Pu’er) Co., Ltd. was established on August 19, 2022, located at No. 4 Banshan Road, Munahe Area, Industrial Park, Nanping Town, Simao District, Pu’er City, Yunnan Province. The company’s business scope includes licensed alcohol operations and alcoholic product production. It operates as a limited liability company with registered capital of 8.09 million yuan.
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Sun Fangxun – Qingdao Xunye Fort Wine Industry Co., Ltd.
Qingdao Xunzhibao Wine Co., Ltd., established in 2002, has consistently operated around two core businesses: “global wine & spirits procurement and sales” and “wine & spirits culture promotion.” The company has cooperated with dozens of wineries from France, Spain, Italy, and Chile, and provides quality products and market support to numerous domestic partners. The Xunzhibao Whisky Fortune Club is a professional institution engaged in whisky with close ties to Scottish, Irish, and Japanese whisky manufacturers, providing domestic support in whisky culture, trade, and technology. https://www.xunzhibao.cn/
Sun Fangxun is a senior expert in China’s wine and whisky field, serving as a member of the China Wine Technical Advisory Committee, National Wine Evaluation Committee, National Level-One Wine Taster, Senior Engineer, member of the Expert Committee of the National Quality Supervision and Inspection Center for Wine, White Spirits and Fruit Wine Products, international wine competition judge appointed by the International Organization of Vine and Wine, Director of the Circulation Professional Committee of Shandong Province Grape and Wine Association, Researcher at Shandong Province Wine Culture Industry Base, and Vice President of Qingdao Wine Association.
World Whisky Brand of the Year
The Winner
Qiu Jingyi-Daichuan malt whisky distillery
Innovative Events Branding of the Year
???
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Liuyang Infinite Whisky Distillery
CRAFT PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
THE Winner
Lingyun Spirits International Trade (Yunnan) Co., Ltd.
Yunnan Lingyun Spirits International Trade is a brand under Lingyun Spirits International Trade (Yunnan) Co., Ltd. The company was established on March 18, 2022, located at Room 1202, 12th Floor, Unit 1, Building 24, Binjiang Junyuan, at the intersection of Baiyun Road and Wanhua Road, Panlong District, Kunming, Yunnan Province. The company’s business scope includes licensed food sales, alcohol operations, food sales (pre-packaged food only), online food sales (pre-packaged food only), food import and export, goods import and export, domestic trade agency, packaging services, and conference and exhibition services. It operates as a limited liability company (natural person investment or holding) with registered capital of 10 million yuan.
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Yunnan Changzihe Wine Co., Ltd.
Kunming’s first whisky distillery—Changzihe Liquor Co., Ltd.—was founded by Zhang Wei and Yang Fanwei. They state that “selected malt, water rich in minerals, small-batch distillation process, combined with international and Yunnan-characteristic oak barrels are what make this craft whisky distillery most distinctive.” The successful market launch and positive reception of whiskies representing Yunnan terroir, such as rose honey port barrel and crystal port barrel whiskies, have brought the company ample market confidence
Brand Packaging Design Company of the Year
The Winner
Shanghai Huilai Cultural Tourism Development Co., Ltd.
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Shanghai Ben No Brand Management Co., Ltd.
Design Team of the Year
The Winner
Shanghai Dakou Culture Creative Co., Ltd.
Visitor Center of the Year
The Winner
Luzhou Distillery Spirit Culture Experience Center
The Luzhou Distillery Spirit Culture Experience Center offers visitors an immersive journey into the art and heritage of Chinese spirits, with a special focus on whisky production. Located at the renowned Luzhou Distillery, the center features interactive exhibits showcasing traditional and modern distillation techniques, guided tastings of their signature spirits, and educational displays on the unique fusion of international whisky craftsmanship with Chinese innovation. Visitors can observe the distillery’s impressive collection of aging warehouses housing nearly one million oak barrels, explore the rare STR (Shaved, Toasted, Recharred) barrel processing workshop, and learn about the distillery’s ambitious plans to expand their spirits reserves. The center serves as both a cultural destination and an educational hub, highlighting Luzhou’s emerging role in China’s rapidly developing premium spirits industry.
COOPER OF THE YEAR
The Winner
Fang Jisheng – Penglai Wolin Oak Barrel Co., Ltd.
The factory headquarters is located in Penglai District, Yantai City, Shandong Province, covering over 40 mu with 8,000 square meters of factory buildings. With 40 employees, it produces 20,000 standard barrels annually and can manufacture wine barrels and fermentation barrels in various specifications from 1 liter to 20,000 liters. The company primarily serves China’s domestic alcohol market, providing oak barrels for fermentation and aging to breweries, wineries, brandy distilleries, whisky distilleries, and offers comprehensive maintenance services. In its decade-plus development, Wolin has gone through three main stages: 1) Learning foreign technology to achieve international quality; 2) Developing oak barrels suitable for Chinese production regions; 3) Exploring terroir characteristics and innovating national brands. After more than ten years of development, Wolin has established a professional and effective R&D team through “external collaboration + self-development,” accumulating substantial first-hand results and patents, making adequate technical preparations for long-term stable development. Currently, the company’s products have entered markets in the United States, Japan, France, Australia, and other countries. As a long-term plan, the company will continue to focus on Chinese terroir research, constantly discovering and developing new oak species for application in whisky, beer, wine, and other international alcohol types, enhancing the integration of Chinese oak with world alcohols, expanding international influence, and pushing Wolin to the forefront of the global oak barrel industry.
COOPERAGE OF THE YEAR
The Winner
Luzhou Distillery Barrel Factory.
Luzhou Distillery has its own barrel factory and aging center, with 17 aging warehouses capable of storing approximately 1 million oak barrels. The distillery also has a complete oak barrel processing workshop and an STR (Shaved, Toasted, Recharred) exclusive processing workshop rarely seen in the global whisky industry. As of 2024, Luzhou Barrel Factory has stocked more than 50 types of oak barrels and has completed filling 400,000 oak barrels, with plans to achieve 1 million barrels of original spirit reserves within five years.
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Gaomi Xincheng Oak Barrel Co., Ltd.
A professional oak barrel manufacturer with first-class barrel-making equipment and professional technicians, producing with traditional French barrel-making techniques. The company’s oak barrels are made from selected high-quality oak through extraction, splitting, steaming, roasting, assembly, and other processes. According to customer requirements, barrels can be light-toasted, medium-toasted, or heavy-toasted. Each toasting method offers different aromas and color depths. Wood chips are available in large, medium, and small specifications, and custom processing is available per customer requirements.