Moutai

IN TIME, BAIJIU SPREAD TO ALL CORNERS OF THE EMPIRE WITH EACH REGION OF CHINA CREATING ITS OWN VERSION OF THE SPIRIT. IT WAS DURING THE QING DYNASTY OF 1644 TO 1912 THAT MOUTAI BEGAN TO COME INTO ITS OWN, WITH GROWTH IN PRODUCTION AND THE SKILLS OF THE MAKERS BEING HONED TO PERFECTION. BAIJIU IS THE MOST CONSUMED SPIRITS CATEGORY IN THE WORLD AND PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD RECOGNIZE MOUTAI AS THE VERY BEST BAIJIU – CHINA’S OWN TRADITIONAL SPIRIT.

THE BRAND OF KWEICHOW MOUTAI WAS named as the ‘National Liquor of China’ in 1949 by Zhou Enlai, the first Premier of the People’s Republic of China. Zhou Enlai is now widely known as the father of Moutai. His great love of the spirit stemmed from his time in The Red Army, where his army marched over the Snowy Mountains, relying on Moutai to give them strength, keep up their spirits and even sterilize their wounds and swords after fighting. It is clear that the significant role Moutai played in ‘The Long March’ forged a special place in the memory of Zhou Enlai. As a great diplomat and a man of the people, Zhou Enlai continued to cherish Moutai, using it to entertain international guests. Looking back at the history of Chinese diplomacy, Moutai has played an unparalleled role. With its high quality and mellow taste, Moutai has left traces at critical moments of Chinese history.

Primarily consumed in China as a celebratory drink, Moutai is rare and sourced from the protected town of Moutai in China’s picturesque Guizhou Province. The production of Moutai has stayed true to its ancient distilling techniques since 135 BC, and has now grown to become a brand of great significance in global markets.

Passed on from generation to generation, the art of producing Moutai is meticulous, allowing the complex aromas from a spectrum of flavours found in the spirit to create an explosive sensory experience. The baijiu takes on the characteristics and spirit of the picturesque landscape in which it’s developed, representing the harmony between people and nature. As with most quality distilling, water is the lifeline of the spirit. Moutai baijiu is cultivated over thousands of years, with their ancient brewing process being a key component of the multi-dimensional flavour that is distinct to the spirit.

PRODUCTION

It takes a whole year for Moutai to complete its process of production before any aging

OPPOSITE: Chishui River in the town of Moutai, Guizhou province.

ABOVE LEFT: Moutai being aged in ceramic pots.

takes place. Moutai is made from sorghum, a grain that looks like a small red ball with a tough outer husk, which is brought to the distillery to start the cycle of production. In addition a centuries-old fermentation starter called Qu is added. Moutai has a unique process that is much more refined to create finer flavours and a higher quality spirit.

Producing Moutai involves steaming local grown sorghum nine times, eight fermentation periods, seven filtration sessions and numerous maturation and blending traditions and aging in clay pots. Interestingly, Moutai production is based on the lunar calendar and begins in autumn when the Chishui River (known as China’s Fine Wine River) runs cleanest and purest. This unique geological position of the town of Moutai creates a special microclimate. Master blenders who have spent their lives

in Moutai and know the flavours perform the blending of Moutai to great detail. Tradition of Moutai dictates that the process is performed manually. The whole process of Moutai production, from aging to the finished liquor, involves at least a period of five years: one year for production, three years for aging and another one year of aging after liquors of different ages have been blended.

DRINKING

Moutai, chosen as the National Liquor of China by the government, is used to celebrate special occasions and even seen as a status symbol in some cases. Traditionally, the spirit is drunk neat in small glasses of 10ml to15ml. With such a complex spectrum of aromas and flavours, it is equally as good neat or in cocktails that highlight its flavours. Generally, Moutai is enjoyed at room temperature. As for when to drink it, the spirit works well as an aperitif and stimulates the appetite, but is predominantly enjoyed with meals. Much like Champagne, Moutai is consumed as a celebratory drink to toast any special occasion and commemorate achievement, or to simply toast to good health and well-being.

The unique quality of Moutai is a perfect combination of its distinctive brewing techniques and the local natural environment. And these techniques and climatic conditions cannot be transferred and / or replicated. Indeed, it is the traditional scientific brewing techniques that the local people have come up with, through the thousands of years, coupled with the special local natural environment that have made Moutai what it is today. TASTING

Explaining the flavours and aromas of Moutai can be difficult and possibly detrimental to your own unique Moutai experience. It has such an incredibly different flavour profile to any western spirit that it is best to make up your own mind of its flavours. It is characterised with its “Jiang” aroma or “sauce” aroma, which can be likened to a soy sauce type of flavour but this is perfectly balanced with a plethora of other flavours that compliment this. To help you identify some of the flavours you may pick up in aroma and taste here are some of the large spectrum of flavours that are commonly enjoyed; Banana, plum, apple yeast, chocolate, coffee bean, smoke, oak, fermented fruits, honey, nuts, mint, coconut, sorghum, bacon, beef, over ripe dark fruits. ❧

OPPOSITE BELOW: Workers packing Qu into bricks at the Moutai distillery.

Tasting notes

MOUTAI PRINCE

Appearance: Crystal clear

Aroma: The mellow Jiang fragrance accompanied by the lighter aromas

Flavour: The signature Moutai flavour is at its lightest in this bottling with a manageable length and mellow mouthfeel MOUTAI FLYING FAIRY

Appearance: Crystal clear

Aroma: The Moutai famous Jiang fragrance. Surrounded by the most complex and balanced of the rest of the spectrum of Moutai flavours

Flavour: The most famous of the Moutai bottlings, this is the most unique flavour, which consists of a complex layer of many flavours uniquely deciphered by each individual drinker. Slight viscosity is present in the Flying Fairy MOUTAI 15 YEAR OLD

Appearance: Crystal clear with a very slight golden hue

Aroma: As Moutai ages it moves more towards the mellow notes of honey and nuts

Flavour: Slightly more viscosity to coat the mouth with its unique flavours and slightly more of the nutty, slight tropical fruit and nut flavours

Ganbei Julep

Glass: Highball

Ingredients: 30ml Moutai 30ml Coconut and white chocolate tea 10ml Rose syrup 10ml Green mango puree

Garnish: Coconut shavings and baby’s breath flowers

Method: Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake until chilled. Double strain into the glass over crushed ice