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What You Need to Know About Collecting Baijiu
Chinese baijiu is one of the best-selling spirits categories in the world. Read on to learn why it's worth paying attention to.
W hen you think of the best-selling spirits in the world, whiskeys like Jack Daniel’s, Johnnie Walker, and Jim Beam are probably the first ones that come to mind. But Chinese baijiu – meaning white liquor – is seeing rising international prominence, and already a huge footprint in the global spirits market raking in billions of dollars every year.
This unique and fascinating spirit, which has been around for centuries, is incredibly popular in its native China where it has accounted for nearly US$100 billion in annual sales over the past few years. According to a recent BBC report, baijiu makes up more than 90 percent of all spirits sold in China, a staggering figure in a country of almost 1.5 billion people. That alone makes it one of the best-selling spirits categories in the world. People in America and Europe are starting to become more familiar with baijiu, and not just the affordable entry-level options. There are indeed some rare bottles of aged baijiu housed in elaborate collectible packaging that are heading to auction for the first time this year. And based on the price that some of these collections have fetched in previous sales, this is a category worth paying attention to.
The History of 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.
Notable Names in Baijiu
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.
Baijiu at Auction
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.
What makes the upcoming Sotheby’s baijiu auction special is that it will include not just Moutai, but, for the very first time, baijiu made by other producers. This will give spirits aficionados, collectors, and baijiu enthusiasts a chance to explore the category in a more complete sense, as it continues to increase in popularity around the world and truly become a collectible category.
