The only comments I'd heard about baijiu before actually trying it were in the vein of the rather hyperbolic sibling comment that compares it to cow feces. I was surprised to find the particular baijiu I tried more like a very herbal whisky.
Maybe people hating on baijiu just haven't tried many hard liquors? At its worst, peaty scotch could be compared to, well, peat (which is decaying vegetation), and mezcal could be compared to burnt plants. But both can taste great.
Interesting re. herbal whisky, do you recall which baijiu you've had?
Re. scotch whisky I've heard people referring to laphroaig as smelling of TCP. (I really enjoy peated whisky/smoked beers - I need to try mezcal don't think I've had any before).
I've had baiju that's more herbal before as well. generally good baiju should smell floral.
The big problem with Baiju is that most people, at least in the US, are trying the equivalent of Smirnoff / cooking grade stuff because it's cheaply sold at asian marts.
Fen Chiew (https://www.totalwine.com/spirits/baijiu/xinghuacun-fen-chie...) is decent stuff that I've bought at a Total Wine in Socal. You can also go to somewhere like a Ranch 99 and look for a mid tier bottle. Whatever you do don't get the "Red Star" brand (google for pics), it's bottom of the barrel stuff, the "Popov Vodka" of Baiju as a rough analogy :)
As is true for many hard alcohols, you typically get what you pay for when it comes to Baijiu. Moutai Prince is terrible compared to Moutai but the difference is not in the immediate flavor. It’s mostly in the after taste.
Baijiu has many different taste categories. Moutai and the like are known as “Jiang Xiang” which roughly translates to Soy flavor. That’s the umami you’re referring to and it’s an acquired taste.
I find Wuliangye to be more approachable to beginners because it sits in the “Nong Xiang” category and tastes more floral. It’s not cheap but that’s where I recommend newer Baijiu drinkers to start.
Thanks, that's interesting about the difference being in the aftertaste between Prince and Moutai. Will see if I can find a bar selling the Wuliangye one.
Do you drink wine? The best analogy for the difference between Moutai vs Moutai Prince is the difference between a $100+ bottle of fruit forward Napa Cab vs a supermarket red that tastes like it had sugar injected into it. A beginner might call both a “sweet” wine, but the depth of the flavor is night and day for anyone who’s had any experience. Or the difference between a structured Bordeaux vs an astringent mess of a red blend. Both would taste acidic to a new wine drinker.
The expensive vs cheap baijius are the same way. Try some Wuliangye or Fenjiu for a couple of different taste categories to see what you like. Avoid the cheap stuff as your subconscious will tell you it’s terrible even if you’re not tasting the difference upfront.
