On the nose very elegant, with perfume like aromas leaning towards soy sauce and floral fragrances. In the mouth a smoky note clearly predominates, accompanied by a burning sensation (due to the high alcohol) and followed by an herbaceous astringent one. The liquor leaves you with a long and pleasant finish, that last forever and that is again dominated by a smoky note. This most traditional of the Moutai range of spirits sells at around 270 USD for a 500ml bottle.
Moutai is by far the most famous and among the most expensive brand of Baijiu (pronounced “bye-joe”).
Having married a Chinese, when I visit her extended family I get to be treated to the highest hospitality, which include multiple toasts with Baijiu. Honestly, I never really enjoyed the Baijiu I tasted so far, probably due to its high alcohol and bold flavour.
Given my European background, for me it is generally difficult to appreciate the aromatic subtleties of this complex spirit, but I always value the sophisticated drinking culture of the Chinese and I enjoy their overwhelming hospitality.
Although occasionally referred to as Chinese Wine, Baijiu is a strong distilled spirit. Usually made from fermented sorghum, but other grains may also be used. The history of this Chinese liquor can be concretely dated back to the Later Han Dynasty (25-220 AD), when an early form of distillation was discovered.
In the case of Moutai, the beverage is distilled from fermented organic sorghum. It takes one year to produce Moutai, following the lunar calendar and a unique production process that involves multiple steaming and boiling, fermentations, filtrations and distillations. The liquor then ages for a minimum of 3 years in ceramic pots, before being finally blended. A bottle of Moutai Flying Fairy comes to the market 5 years after the process has been initialised.
The art of producing Moutai originated in the Qing Dynasty and has over 200 years of history. It is believed there are almost 2000 types of microorganisms in the air of the town of Moutai, which contribute to its non-replicable flavour.
The spirit owns its fame mainly to the People’s Republic of China, which named it the “National Liquor of China” in the ’50s and used Moutai on official occasions with foreign heads of state and other distinguished guests visiting China. Zhou Enlai famously served Moutai to Richard Nixon during the state banquet for the US presidential visit to China in 1972.
Baijiu is nowadays the most consumed spirit category in the world and Moutai the most valuable liquor brand on the globe.
Kweichow Moutai, the company that produce this luxury liquor, has a market capitalisation bigger than LVMH, and is among the biggest holding and performance contributors of GAM China Evolution, the China Equity Fund (among the world’s bests) managed by my wife.
Most commonly, Baijiu get classified according to the following aroma’s types: Sauce, Strong, Light, Rice, Phoenix and Mixed fragrance. It is furthermore divided into two types: the unflavoured and the flavoured, which use flowers, herbs and sweeteners to create their wide-ranging taste. Moutai belong to the sauce fragrant flavoured type.
Baijiu in general doesn’t appeal to my palate, but contrary to expectations, I must recognise that Moutai is much more agreeable than any other Baijiu I tasted so far. What a pleasant surprise!
Country: China
Region: Guizhou
Grapes: Sorghum
Type: Spirit
Vintage: N/A
Producer: Kweichow Moutai
Price range: Luxury (>100 US$)
Pascal’s Enjoyment Index: 4/5