From China's first Baijiu distillery with over 600 years of Baijiu mastery.

Baijiu (pronounced “bye-joe”) is China’s national spirit. Shui Jing Fang Red Fortune is released by spirits giant Diageo. The red bottle is said to be marked with the Gingko sign, the symbol of Chengdu, which is an ancient capital of China.

Nose: The bouquet on this powerhouse is as aromatic and pungent as they come, with loads of sweet anise seed, licorice, hard plum candy, and sickly sweet herbal cough syrup with the smell of a farmyard, mixed aged cheeses and old vegetables tainting what is otherwise a sweet smelling spirit. The glass, once empty, smells of smoked tea, old cheddar and stale tobacco.

Taste: Intense. The over the top anise seed sickly sweet character is almost too much to bear. Then more of the grain shines through with a hay-like farmyard earthy taste. There is some peach and pickled onions. This is seriously complex spirit. Is that a waxed box with decaying fruit I taste? 

Overall: Most westerners will likely not enjoy their first taste of baijiu. The process of making baijiu creates flavours that many westerners may not have come to understand and appreciate. These flavours will probably taste strange.