Crafted Fragrance, Long-lasting Aroma - The Art of Moutai Liquor Appreciation
Apart from comforting the depth of spirits, tasting fine liquor can also bring simple joy. Whether it is refreshingly elegant or unforgettably abundant aroma, you will always feel fulfilling and delightful after a sip. As the originator of Jiang-fragrance liquor, Kweichow Moutai integrated with the agriculture in Chishui River region, the producing method was influenced by the local environment, retaining some primitive life traces. It is an exquisite craft inherited for thousands of years.
“Open the bottle after the rain, the fragrance can spread miles away. It is so strong that all neighbors are immersed in the inebriation.” The fragrance of Moutai is strong but not vulgar. Bred in history and polished in time, Moutai is a kind of maturely-developed liquor filled with cultural deposits and ingenuity. To understand its story, we need to taste its fragrance and feel it deeply. Appreciating Moutai becomes a form of art.
Oxidize the Liquor
Generally, we know the decanting wine is a necessary procedure before officially tasting the wine. Aged Jiang-fragrance liquor also needs to be properly oxidized before drinking. Firstly, make sure the temperature of liquor the same as the indoor temperature before opening the bottle. Then, slightly shake the bottle and tighten the cap again after a few minutes’ standing. Repeat the above actions for serval times so the liquid will become more fragrant with the oxidation.
Observe the Colour
Calm your mind before tasting the liquor. The charm of the liquor can be best appreciated when your mind is at peace and concentrated. Raise the cup to the eyebrow level and observe its colour. Jiang-fragrance liquor with good quality should be transparent with slight yellowish colour. Then, look down to the liquid against the light. The liquid should be clear and inclusion-free, glittering as the amber.
For Moutai, the more aged the liquor is, the richer it will be in taste.
Smell the Aroma
Every type of liquor has its particular aroma. Therefore, appreciating liquor by smelling is one of the most ravishing processes. The aroma of good-quality Moutai is heavy yet graceful. After 30 procedures and 165 steps in the traditional production, Moutai’s aroma is delicate with multiple layers, stable and durable. Slowly savouring the liquor, you can make out the aroma of fruits, plants, grains, spirits, flowers and a touch of sourness. The complexity of aroma is the most charming feature of Moutai.
Savour the Flavour
Savouring includes tasting and perceiving the aftertaste. Take a sip of the liquor, slowly swallow the liquor, the silky liquid will run through your throat, carrying out the qu aroma of Moutai. Then, keep your lips closed and let the fragrance expire through your nose, forming a lingering aftereffect.
Sniff at the Empty-Cup Fragrance
After the liquor in the cup is finished, put the cup aside 5-10 minutes, you can smell rich aroma left in the empty cup, just like a combination of fruity and floristic smells. The aroma of good Jiang-fragrance liquor will stay even for a few days long.
Undoubtedly, Moutai liquor passed on Moutai people’s traditional craftsmanship and spirit of “mastering the skills regardless of costs, hard-work and passing time” with its grace, mysteriousness and complexity, conveying the Chinese wisdom of “nature unity” from Taoism. The integration of ages and craftmanship and the crystallization of techniques and arts constitute the most unique part of Moutai’s charm.
Source Reference: Issue 26 of Moutai Magazine - International Edition
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