92 points “Cereal walnut roasted peanut and savoury impressions on the nose sweetness with grains and some tomato leaf basil citrus and roasted pineapple on the palate with a long finish with Szechuan peppercorns.” – International Wine & Spirit Competition 2020
Spirits Business ranked Gujinggong as the world’s fifth most valuable spirits brand in 2021 keeping the likes of Jack Daniel’s Hennessy Smirnoff Bacardi and Johnny Walker out of the top five. That alone should earn it a space in a discerning drinker’s collection.
Guijinggongjiu meaning ‘old well tribute liquor’ has a history dating back over 1 800 years. It’s made just outside Bozhou Anhui province which is the city that “the oldest distilling method existing in the world” originated from according to Guinness World Records. So this is a bottle with provenance unlike any other.
Wrapped with a dragon this sleek bottle is filled with a Baijiu crafted in the much-loved ‘strong-aroma’ style and aged in ceramic pots for 20 years. It was created using sorghum rice wheat glutinous rice and corn and water from the old well system that has been used for thousands of years. Gujinggong Chiew Ancient 20 Year Old is a super-smooth Baijiu with notes of dried pineapple sweet spices cacao aniseed toasted nuts granola green leaves lemon sorbet and tickly Sichuan peppercorns on the finish. It’s remarkably complex and we find it impossible not to revel in its rich history while sipping it neat.
Baijiu has been China’s national drink for more than five millennia and is the most-consumed hard liquor on the planet (18 billion litres are made each year). Although the West has been slow on the uptake that’s all about to change. Sales of this fascinating spirit are exploding around the world. And it’s worth noting that Baijiu is as important a part of Chinese heritage as silk tea ceramics martial arts and calligraphy all of which have become very popular on these shores.
The name translates as ‘clear spirit’ and Baijiu can be distilled from sorghum wheat rice sticky rice or corn. What makes it unique is two-fold. Firstly it’s an ingredient called ‘Qu’ – bricks of damp grains left in a warm place until they grow yeasts fungi and microorganisms – that is used to kickstart the fermentation a little like koji for Japanese Sake. This gives Baijiu a distinctive aromatic funk which reminds us a little of high-ester Jamaican rum. Secondly it’s the fact that Baijiu – unlike any other spirit we’re aware of – is created by distilling the solids not the liquid. Baijiu is then matured in ceramic jars; something that’s becoming increasingly fashionable in the world of wine also. These breathable containers allow micro-oxygenation of the spirit and remove impurities all without adding flavour.
Again like fine wine production methods vary and there are strong regional variations. So the Chinese generally classify Baijiu by its distinctive smell. The primary categories are ‘rice’ a sweet and floral style from the south; ‘light’ a delicate style from the north made with sorghum; ‘strong’ the most popular style crafted using at least two grains and mud pits for fermentation; and ‘savoury’ or ‘sauce’ an expensive and umami style thought to resemble soy sauce. Following a similar trajectory to other strong artisanal spirits like Mezcal Baijiu is traditionally sipped neat but it has recently captured the attention of cocktail aficionados and the world’s finest bartenders. Baijiu now looks set to cement its status as the greatest spirit on the planet by increasing its global reach.
SKU No.: 3443974
Style No.: 879698
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 52%
Volume: 500ml
92 points “Cereal walnut roasted peanut and savoury impressions on the nose sweetness with grains and some tomato leaf basil citrus and roasted pineapple on the palate with a long finish with Szechuan peppercorns.” – International Wine & Spirit Competition 2020
Spirits Business ranked Gujinggong as the world’s fifth most valuable spirits brand in 2021 keeping the likes of Jack Daniel’s Hennessy Smirnoff Bacardi and Johnny Walker out of the top five. That alone should earn it a space in a discerning drinker’s collection.
Guijinggongjiu meaning ‘old well tribute liquor’ has a history dating back over 1 800 years. It’s made just outside Bozhou Anhui province which is the city that “the oldest distilling method existing in the world” originated from according to Guinness World Records. So this is a bottle with provenance unlike any other.
Wrapped with a dragon this sleek bottle is filled with a Baijiu crafted in the much-loved ‘strong-aroma’ style and aged in ceramic pots for 20 years. It was created using sorghum rice wheat glutinous rice and corn and water from the old well system that has been used for thousands of years. Gujinggong Chiew Ancient 20 Year Old is a super-smooth Baijiu with notes of dried pineapple sweet spices cacao aniseed toasted nuts granola green leaves lemon sorbet and tickly Sichuan peppercorns on the finish. It’s remarkably complex and we find it impossible not to revel in its rich history while sipping it neat.
Baijiu has been China’s national drink for more than five millennia and is the most-consumed hard liquor on the planet (18 billion litres are made each year). Although the West has been slow on the uptake that’s all about to change. Sales of this fascinating spirit are exploding around the world. And it’s worth noting that Baijiu is as important a part of Chinese heritage as silk tea ceramics martial arts and calligraphy all of which have become very popular on these shores.
The name translates as ‘clear spirit’ and Baijiu can be distilled from sorghum wheat rice sticky rice or corn. What makes it unique is two-fold. Firstly it’s an ingredient called ‘Qu’ – bricks of damp grains left in a warm place until they grow yeasts fungi and microorganisms – that is used to kickstart the fermentation a little like koji for Japanese Sake. This gives Baijiu a distinctive aromatic funk which reminds us a little of high-ester Jamaican rum. Secondly it’s the fact that Baijiu – unlike any other spirit we’re aware of – is created by distilling the solids not the liquid. Baijiu is then matured in ceramic jars; something that’s becoming increasingly fashionable in the world of wine also. These breathable containers allow micro-oxygenation of the spirit and remove impurities all without adding flavour.
Again like fine wine production methods vary and there are strong regional variations. So the Chinese generally classify Baijiu by its distinctive smell. The primary categories are ‘rice’ a sweet and floral style from the south; ‘light’ a delicate style from the north made with sorghum; ‘strong’ the most popular style crafted using at least two grains and mud pits for fermentation; and ‘savoury’ or ‘sauce’ an expensive and umami style thought to resemble soy sauce. Following a similar trajectory to other strong artisanal spirits like Mezcal Baijiu is traditionally sipped neat but it has recently captured the attention of cocktail aficionados and the world’s finest bartenders. Baijiu now looks set to cement its status as the greatest spirit on the planet by increasing its global reach.
SKU No.: 3443974
Style No.: 879698