What You Need to Know About Collecting Baijiu

If you’re unfamiliar with baijiu, here’s a brief rundown to help explain exactly what this singular spirit is. Its origin can be traced as far back as the Ming dynasty, but baijiu didn’t really become the spirit we are familiar with today until the mid-20th century. The name baijiu refers to a spirit made from grain in China, but for the most part it’s distilled from sorghum (it can also be made from rice, wheat, corn, or millet). The production process begins by steaming and then fermenting the sorghum or other grain, and then distilling it to a high proof. Unlike whiskey, which is commonly aged in wooden barrels for several years or even a few decades, baijiu is often rested for just a few months in terracotta jars. This allows it to oxygenate before bottling, something that producers believe improves the flavour. Finally, it’s blended and proofed down, although the ABV often soars above 50 percent. Traditionally, baijiu is consumed during meals by groups of people who make sure that their neighbours’ glasses are filled, with multiple shots being downed after an effusive toast. Given that taste is entirely subjective, baijiu’s flavor is often described as pungent and almost savoury, with ripe notes of fruit, flowers, and even fermented beans on the nose and palate. Of course, that all varies depending on the style and producer.

There are many different distilleries and producers making baijiu today in China, but the biggest name, and one that even casual consumers of the category might be familiar with, is Moutai. Moutai, which is instantly recognisable for its white bottle with festive red writing on the label, dominates the baijiu market. According to a recent report, the brand’s sales in 2023 reached an astounding 148 billion yuan (about US$20 billion). There are of course other popular brands available as well, including Kinmen Kaoliang (which is made in Taiwan) and Wu Liang Ye, a close competitor to Moutai.

Historically speaking, baijiu is an inexpensive spirit that is widely available, and it has not been elevated to a collector’s item status in the way that other spirits categories have. But that has started to change in recent years, and there are more high-end, limited-edition, older vintage releases coming that have been showing up at auction. While still not quite at the level of a decades-old single malt scotch or limited-edition cognac releases, there have been a few lots of vintage baijiu that have sold for notable amounts of money over the past couple of years. In 2022, an original crate containing 24 bottles of “Sun Flower” Kweichow Moutai produced in 1972 sold at auction for £937,500 as part of Sotheby’s first dedicated Moutai sale. The following year, a similar collection from 1972 went up for auction along with a Kweichow Flying Fairy Moutai collection from 1985. This year, a truly unique Moutai expression hit the auction block, a 2002 bottling that was aged for an unprecedented 80 years.