This Baijiu magically made it way to me via some investor friends. I am not sure it has ever made its’s way to the USA nor has it been reviewed here yet. If you are unfamiliar with Baijiu check out the Wiki here. What sets Baijiu apart from other spirits, is the slow fermentation process, and the use of a grain culture called qu instead of yeast.
Jingyangchun has been making spirits in China since 1973. Their website describes their products as “liquor with strong flavor distilled from cereals based on its unique style of heavy fermentation pit aroma, refreshing and soft tastes as well as long time aftertaste remain.” Raw materials: sorghum, wheat, rice, glutinous rice, and maize. Its unique style is heavy fermentation pit aroma
Jingzhi 8 year Baijiu 52%/104 proof $90 500ml
Nose – very floral and sweet, green apple, pear, elderflower and honeydew melon
Full bodied mouth feel with very fruity flavors, banana, lychee, melon with a hint of malt and sesame
The finish is long and sweet, flavors of orange blossom, pear, and melon
Typically Baijiu is aged in ceramic pots, and I guess that this is the case with this 8-year spirit, as it is more flavorful than the 5-year variety I also sampled. This flavor profile is in the strongly flavored category, and I found it quite fruity and pleasant albeit quite bold at 104 proof.