If we could put a price tag on every distillery – be it a whisky, rum, brandy, vodka or etc. – which would be the world’s most valuable distillery? It isn’t The Macallan Distillery despite the obvious value and prestige of The Macallan branding. No, it isn’t Hampden Estate, nor Caroni Rum Distillery either. Nor is it Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky which produces the famed and mystical Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon. The most valuable distillery is not a French Cognac distillery either.

Maotaizhen (茅台镇), a rivercity in southwest China is home to the world’s most valuable liquor distillery – the Kweichow Moutai Co. In fact, this single distiller is valued more than all of the 30 whisky distilleries owned by Diageo plc combined.

You’d know when you’re walking past the distillery. An obvious, almost teriyaki sauce-like scent permeates the entire facility and onto the main road. The town’s eponymous spirit has over a thousand years of legacy, when the Emperor of the Han Dynasty (206 BC) praised the liquor for being “sweet and fragrant”. Legend has it that the baijiu inspired many of the greatest works of Tang Dynasty poet Li-Bai (700 AD), including the following ode to the moon and his hometown: 

Ever the booze lover, the poet met with an end that could have made himself chuckle. On a tipsy moonlit night by a pond, the poet drowned while attempting to fish out “the moon in the water”.

Over a thousand years later, Moutai found itself a symbol of friendship between superpowers. The Chinese liquor received global spotlight at the 1915 Panama-Pacific World Exposition. Hosted in San Francisco, the vast fair was meant to highlight every country’s significant achievements, such as the US’s successful completion of the colossal Panama Canal.

The world fair allowed visitors to “see the world” by visiting different international pavilions, witnessing fascinating displays of technology, music, art and food. The Chinese representative at the expo deliberately dropped a jar of Moutai liquor, causing the fragrant aroma of the baijiu to fill the air and capturing the expo judges’ attention. This helped Moutai win a Gold medal at the expo.

In 1972, the watershed meeting between President Nixon and the Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai marked turning point of the Cold War. The Chinese Premier raised a glass of warming Moutai to Nixon, and the widespread publication of this image signified the warming of diplomatic relations between the superpowers.

Moutai today remains very much a liquor favoured by Chinese high society and is indispensable at banquets. According to baijiu experts, Moutai is synonymous with celebrations in China in the same way Champagnes are popped in the West.

So what exactly is Moutai? What exactly is Baijiu?

Kweichow Moutai is one of the most prestigious brands of Baijiu – something like the Dom Pérignon of the Baijiu category.

What is Baijiu?

Baijiu is… well, think of it as the Chinese answer to Haitian white rhum (clairin) or unaged mezcal. It is a colourless spirit intense in its aroma and flavours.

Interestingly, Baijiu was originally known as Shaojiu (燒酒), a term written with characters nearly identical to those of Japanese Shochu (焼酎) and Korean Soju (燒酒). Yet the 3 families of spirits have radically different taste profiles, production and history.

How is Baijiu made?

Baijiu is made by fermenting cooked Chinese great millet (高粱) along with starter yeast and microbes to create sugars and alcohol, before distilling the fermented grain mixture many times over.

Interestingly, while whiskies, rums, brandy, shochu and other spirits are distilled from an aqueous mixture of grain soup or filtered malt extract, Baijiu is distilled from a damp soil-like mixture of great millet grains.

During distillation, hot steam is passed through the fermented grains, extracting flavour and aroma compounds, which are then condensed in a cooling tower. The distillate is then tasted for quality, blended, and aged in sealed ceramic jars for about 3 to 4 years to allow the alcohol to “breathe”.

The aged distillate is then tasted by master blenders and blended. At Moutai Distillery for instance, the blending process is particularly elaborate. Up to 200 batches of distillates get tasted and blended to create the desirable flavour and texture of Moutai.

Which Baijiu should you try?

 So where do we begin? There are 4 major flavour categories of Baijiu. In China, these 4 categories are referred to as the “Four Basic Aromas”.

New drinkers should look out for the Four Basic Aromas, and try a good Baijiu from each category. We have compiled a short list for you.

First, there is the Sauce Aroma (酱香) Baijiu. These Baijiu are some of the most complex, with sweet and umami notes reminiscent of Japanese teriyaki sauce, Chinese sweet sauce or soy sauce. The famous Moutai (茅台) is widely regarded as the exemplar of Sauce Aroma Baijiu.

How does it taste? It opens with fresh aromas of Chinese soy sauce, with a complex palate of ripe fruits, florals, cereal and yeast. This is followed by more notes of soy sauce.

Important note: If you are keen to experience the classic flavours of Moutai, we strongly recommend only focusing on the flagship expression known as the “Flying Fairy”, which has the full phrase “Kweichow Moutai” on the label (see above). It is common for new drinkers to unknowingly purchase significantly cheaper ranges such as the Moutai “Yingbin”, Moutai “Prince” or Moutai “Bulao”, however these may not have the same smoothness and texture as the flagship Moutai expression.

Given the blistering popularity of Moutai in China and its prohibitive price for locals, in recent years, other premium Baijiu producers are beginning to give Moutai a run for its money with equally appealing Baijiu at a fraction of the cost.

Yipin Jingzhi (一品景芝) is one such producer. It prides itself for developing the “Sesame Aroma” (芝麻香) Baijiu – a sub-category of Sauce Aroma Baijiu. The mash is fermented at more intense temperatures and for a shorter duration. The result is a soy sauce note with muted notes of fruit, but tasty and distinctive notes of roasted sesame.

Yipin Jingzhi is also known for its highly ornate and over-the-top packaging and porcelain bottles that wouldn’t be out of place at a Zhang Yimou film set for an imperial banquet.

Next, there’s the Strong Aroma (浓香) Baijiu, the most widely-sold Baijiu in China. Without a doubt, these Baijiu have the most intense flavour profiles, often having a robust body with potent notes of overripe tropical fruit (something of a banana or pink guava funk), and the spiciness of star anise and white pepper. 

The secret to the intensity and sweetness lies in the fermentation process. Strong Aroma Baijiu are made from grains fermented for several months at a time in massive earthen pits dug out of the ground.

Worker replenishing a fermentation pit at Luzhou Laojiao Distillery (Image Source: Ming River)

Luzhou Laojiao (泸州老窖) is the most popular brand of Strong Aroma Baijiu. The distillery runs a fermentation pits that recycle fermented residue from prior fermentations to maintain a perpetual cycle of continues fermentation – this is believed to improve flavour complexity.

A fully mature old fermentation pit (老窖) must have been used continuously for at least three decades. Luzhou Laojiao Distillery maintains over a thousand fermentation pits that are over a century old, and also owns the oldest-known Baijiu fermentation pit that has been in continuous use since 1573.

Luzhou Laojiao expressions are described to have a strong burst of pineapples and licorice, a lasting aroma of fermented peaches, a hint of marzipan and the numbness of Sichuan peppercorn.

Another famous brand of Strong Aroma Baijiu is Wuliangye (五粮液), which is made using 5 types of grains – Chinese great millet, rice, glutinous rice, wheat and corn. This brand is known for its more pungent aroma with strong notes of fresh pineapples and a mild dryness towards the end.

The third big category is known as Light Aroma (清香) Baijiu. These Baijiu tend to be fruity, floral with light overtones of an industrial solvent-like aroma, and a light, sprightly profile. Light Aroma Baijiu tend to take a slightly shorter period of time to produce of about six months, making this a more affordable category of Baijiu for the general populace.

One of the most highly-rated brands in this category is Fenjiu (汾酒), which is produced in the cool mountainous regions of Shaanxi Province. This results in one of the purest and cleanest-tasting Baijiu with a sweet, mellow and refreshing taste.

Finally, there are the Rice Aroma (米香) Baijiu. While most other categories of Baijiu are distilled with a component of Chinese Great Millet, Rice Aroma Baijiu are distilled from long-grain rice or glutinous rice, before fermentation rice-based fermentation start (similar to koji used for Japanese Shochu). The distillation and aging process sometimes gives it a light yellow shade. Rice Aroma Baijiu are typically smooth and mildly sweet, somewhat reminiscent of Japanese Saké.

The most famous brand in this category is Sanhuajiu (三花酒) which is made in the beautiful mountainous region of Guilin. This brand of Baijiu is made with steamed rice, then infused with Chinese medicinal herbs. The result is a spirit with a mellow sweetness, notes of rice and a distinctively Chinese herbaceous aroma.

Someone told me that Baijiu tastes awful!

Spirits experts from around the world are beginning to rediscover the astonishing complexity and enjoyability of great Baijius like the Kweichow Moutai – it was, after all, celebrated at the World Exposition in 1915.

Yet Baijiu still suffers from a PR problem amongst many Western and even non-Chinese Asian drinkers. It’s said to be some sort of “firewater” that would burn one’s throat. Many a foreigner shuddered at the thought of having to drink the moonshine to satisfy their Chinese business partners. But we have perhaps been judging Baijiu by the wrong standards.

American journalist David Volodzko eloquently summarised the problem:

the problem tends to be a kind of consumer ethnocentrism whereby people imagine baijiu ought to resemble vodka, with a good one being clean and crisp and a bad one being razor hot. Judged by that standard, baijiu tastes like an intolerably bad alcohol. 

Baijiu is layered, complex and often intense. Rather than vodka, better analogues are found in the intensity of peaty Islay whiskies and funky Jamaican rums. Baijiu can get spicy and funky (think rotten fruits) due to its high concentration of esters. So just as peatheads love a raw and smoky Ardbeg, just as rum connoisseurs obsess over high ester rums from Long Pond, if you have the patience to discover Baijiu you will similarly be rewarded.

And while we accept that Baijiu is somewhat of an acquired taste, we would do well to remember that as with many things, you often pay for what you get. Red Star Baijiu is potent and surprisingly cheap. Yet if we can afford it, we can enter the world of the amazingly peachy Luzhou Laojiao, notes of Chinese soy sauce in the Kweichow Moutai or notes of roast sesame sauce by Yipin Jingzhi.

Henry Kissinger once remarked, “if we drink enough Maotai, we can solve anything.” So take a sip of China’s national spirit while there’s still enough to go around. It will soon become a worldwide phenomenon.

@CharsiuCharlie