Ji Keliang, chairman of Kweichow Moutai.

By Lin Kan Hsuang

China's moutai and France's cognac have both risen to be the iconic spirits of their respective countries, a fact emphasized by a unique event recently held at the Maison Camus Lounge, Beijing, featuring a discussion by Ji Keliang, chairman of the China Kweichow Moutai Distillery and Jean-Paul Camus, chairman of Camus La Grande Marque – each a prestigious label in its own right.

Since 2004, Camus has become the worldwide exclusive distributor of moutai products for the duty-free market in Asia, Europe, America and Oceania.

"I think the most surprising and enticing thing about moutai when you try it for the first time is the smell, the romantic and fragrant smell it has. Moutai is strong, yet the taste is exceptionally smooth," said Cyril Camus, the current president and a fifth-generation member of the Camus Company.

The Moutai Small Blending Batch was specially created for the foreign market and today has entered more than 20 countries and regions.

Concordance of origins

Despite their far-flung locations from each other and contrasting taste, moutai and cognac share geographical similarities. The two cities, Maotai and Cognac, are both located in the southwest and boast ancient rivers.

Moutai is produced in Maotai, Renhuai city, Guizhou Province. "The natural advantages here are unparalleled in water, air, and climate... moutai can never be produced in any other places," Ji said. Its history can be traced back 2,000 years; it was served at the founding ceremony of the People's Republic of China in 1949 and selected to be its national spirit two years after.

Originating in the 16th century, meanwhile, Camus Cognac is an internationally acclaimed spirit sold in more than 150 countries and regions. Based in the Cognac region, Camus Cognac has benefited from a temperate climate with fairly high rainfall.

Tasting notes

 "Cognac is a grape-based spirit," explained Pierre Pinault, Asia Pacific Marketing Manager of Camus Company. "After a long process of slow distillation, ageing in oak casks and meticulous blending, cognac reveals complex aromas of fruits, flowers and spices. Every cognac is different. For example, Camus Extra cognac unveils a cascading profusion of aromatic notes on the nose, and on the palate there are creamy pastry notes, with hints of dried violets flowers, tobacco, leather and walnuts, and with velvety finish of exceptional length."

Pinault enunciated the distinguished ingredients and flavor of moutai in a similar vein. "Moutai is a sorghum-based spirit. After a long process of delicate fermentation and distillation, followed by ageing and blending, moutai reveals fine, round and elegant soya sauce aromas, dark chocolate and minty fragrances on the nose, and a full aftertaste and great aromatic persistence on the palate."

Ji shared his experiences of tasting moutai. "You have to spread the liquor equally on your tongue so as to taste the sweetness, sourness, spiciness and bitterness simultaneously. Then, the mellow fragrance will reach to the nasal cavity. It is a fantastic sensory pleasure."

Unlike most other alcoholic spirits, drinking a lot of moutai won't (allegedly) lead to the unpleasant physical effects of a hangover, such as headache or dehydration, that one normally expects of a liquor bender.

"That's why I strongly suggest people get moutai-drunk at least once, to experience the perfection of moutai," Ji said.
Its soy sauce-like odor is also distinctive. "Moutai liquid is a little bit sticky... you'll find that the leftover liquid stays on the bottom of the [finished] container, forming a thin layer. The leftover fragrance is another olfactory delight," he further explained. 

Extravagance or gift of nature?

According to Moutai Company's official online shop, a 500 ml bottle of a five star moutai costs 949 yuan ($145.35), while the price of an aged one reaches over 5,999 yuan. Despite this sum, Ji doesn't consider it an extravagance.

"I hope people can enjoy moutai on their personal special days, even those part-time workers," Ji said. "Moutai embodies the characteristics of Chinese agricultural society."

The ingredients of moutai are water, sorghum and wheat. In ancient times, farmers used these corns to cook food and utilized surplus corn to brew wines.

"Moutai is a gift of nature. True extravagances should be those costing over 8,000 yuan," he opined.

Such views do not persuade some, though. Dahai (pseudonym), a senior white-wine expert, said that moutai is now an almost-unaffordable drink. "Thirty something years ago when people's average monthly wage was 25 yuan per bottle, moutai cost about seven or eight yuan.

"Today, moutai is mostly served at occasions when senior leaders attend. Or some senior managers are fond of collecting moutai," Dahai said.

But the high price hasn't hindered the liquor's constant popularity, which can be verified by its soaring sales. In 1985, the amount generated from exporting moutai was $500,000. Now, the total assets of the Moutai Company  alone reach 29 billion yuan.

Camus Cognac doesn't have the same identity crisis. "The most popular Camus cognac is the Elegance range. Camus VSOP Elegance is 366 yuan and Camus XO Elegance costs 1,270 yuan," Pinault said.

Maison Camus Lounge – where Camus and CKMD held their forum – is one of the most luxurious member's clubs in Beijing. Its lowest membership costs 10,000 yuan, while their platinum version reaches 150,000 yuan. 

Given its soaring popularity and price, it is quite conceivable that one day a moutai member's bar will reach similar levels of decadent success in China.