Category Archives: Baijiu basics

A visit to Yanghe

Posted on March 25, 2015 by Derek

The problem with talking about baijiu is that every time someone asks you to define it, you invariably end up having to get more detailed than you would like. This is as true when speaking to casual drinkers as it … Continue reading →

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Baijiu basics: sauce aroma

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Derek

They call it sauce-aroma, jiangxiang 酱香, as in soy sauce-aroma. The dreaded saucy sauce is a leveler of foreign palates. I’ve made no secret on this blog that sauce-aroma is my least favorite baijiu category, and recent taste tests conducted … Continue reading →

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Baijiu basics: strong aroma

Posted on January 15, 2013 by Derek

Full disclosure: I live in Sichuan and think its strong-aroma baijiu is the best spirit China produces. But the Chinese seem to have my back on this one. Somewhere between about twenty-five and seventy percent[1] of the baijiu on the … Continue reading →

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Baijiu basics: light aroma

Posted on August 21, 2012 by Derek

Hello from the UK, baijiu buddies. Away on holiday for the moment, so I will be updating infrequently for the rest of the month, but I wanted to post another category breakdown to hold you over. Qing xiang 清香, light aroma, … Continue reading →

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Baijiu basics: rice aroma

Posted on August 9, 2012 by Derek

A couple weeks ago I explained, from start to finish, the process of making baijiu. This was not idle talk but a necessary first step in introducing the various categories of baijiu in greater depth. To review, there are five steps … Continue reading →

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