Tastes

Nose: Grilled pineapple, pineapple flavoured sweets, apricot eau-de-vie, lemon detergent, earth-floored cellars, sweetly-decaying waterlogged wood stumps festooned with fungus, wet autumn leaves crushed underfoot on a forest trail. Apples left to naturally rot and ferment from wild yeasts. Steamed grains, heavily perfumed flowers and sesame oil. There is something else fragrant and exotic that reminds me of childhood holidays but I can't work out why I have that association. Palate: Sweet and tingling on the arrival with an emphasis on blood orange, grapefruit, mango, papaya, peach, apricot, pineapple, sweet cinnamon, acid-lemon candy and a dusting of very mild chili. More pineapple and papaya flavours emerge as it begins its long development which centres on tropical fruit and yeasty, earthy, mushroom flavours that have a robust umami quality (these are not meaty umami flavours, they are fruity and earthy). The texture is excellent – creamy, slightly oily and with a satisfying weight, but it is not syrupy, cloying or overly dense – in fact it is brisk and fresh. Finish: Medium. Slightly spritzy, with very mild white pepper and lingering sweet and sour tropical fruit. This very fine baijiu is produced by the Luzhou Laojiao distillery which is situated on the Yangtse river in Sichuan. It is the longest continuously worked Chinese distillery, having been founded in the 13th century of the western calendar. Their fermentation pits were dug around 600 years ago when they started working with big qu and specializing in strong aroma baijiu, and these same pits have been in operation ever since. The word "zisha" in the name refers to the purple-brown clay used for the bottle. The process of making the spirit is like a solera, but at the production phase rather than during maturation, because the same batch of mash is continually fermented and distilled in an unending cycle … for centuries. This allows yeasts and bacteria to develop in the pit. Some of the mash is removed and some fresh grain is added every cycle and the mash is then returned to the same mud fermentation pit to start again. The oldest of these pits has been worked since 1573. This distillery literally wrote the book on how to produce big qu strong aroma baijiu. Strong aroma baijiu is frequently, as here, characterised by tropical fruit and earthy flavours and to a western palate it initially smells and tastes like a curious sort of tropical fruit liqueur with very little sugar – sort of like an earthy pineapple eau-de-vie. This is an excellent example and one of the most agreeable baijiu I have tasted. I would commend it to anyone who is at all “baijiu-curious” but uncertain where to start. [One note of warning - do not nose the dry glass. Baijiu is best when "wet" and as this one dries in the glass and the more delicate fruity notes disappear it takes on a farmyard aroma that is like walking past a stable that needs mucking out. Don't let that put you off, however. As long as there is liquid in the glass you will never notice it.] Baijiu is a remarkable family of very diverse spirits, and I intend exploring it in much greater depth. It is an acquired taste for sure, but once you do acquire it you’re hooked. Unfortunately only a fraction of what is made is available for export, and the cost of the very best baijiu is very high, as it is a labour intensive and time-consuming production process when done traditionally. Recommended. “Very Good” : 86/100 (4 stars)

Nose: Pine needles, orange, caraway, anise. It’s a rather gentle and laid-back nose but it’s also nicely integrated, presenting a well-composed melange of aromas with a focus on citrus. Palate: Mildly sweet and spicy with a tang of white pepper, citrus oil, caraway and a pinch of anise. There is a little vanilla present as well but it’s wispy and fleeting. The texture is OK but nothing special. Finish: Medium/short. It fades relatively quickly leaving a slight tingle of pepper (or coriander?) and baking spices against light sweetness. I bought this a few days ago while reminiscing about the aquavits I had in Norway last year, but this is a different sort of creature. I’d heard previously that there is a difference between Danish and Norwegian aquavit and now I get it. If you wanted to be kind you could describe this as elegant and refined, but you could just as reasonably call it thin. It definitely has a less complex palate than any Norwegian aquavit I tasted. This particular expression, which translates as “Northern Gold”, uses amber as a flavouring agent, which is pretty out-there and accounts for the name. I do get a very mild pine-needle quality on nose and palate which is the amber showing up, I guess. Not unpleasant at all, and I’ll happily finish the bottle, but I won’t be buying a replacement. “Average” : 79/100 (2.75 stars)

Aquavit tasting, 17 December 2022, aquavit #5 Nose: Orange liqueur, caramel, vanilla, apricot and oak. Palate: A sweet arrival with vanilla, caramel and light baking spices. This transitions to more intense spicy notes in the development as oak tannins become more apparent, however the palate remains well integrated and balanced. There is a dark fruity note, probably from the barrels, and also a hint of barrel char. Finish: Medium/long. Lingering sweetness balanced against oak tannin and spice notes. This was the most robust spirit in the lineup and it was the only one to show signs of intense barrel maturation and age. I believe it is a blend of different maturations with some being 5 years old, which is more than most aquavit. The caraway and anise notes seemed more subtle and restrained here while there was more emphasis on the barrel. It was interesting and the favourite for a couple of people at the tasting, but I think some palates might find it challenging. Of all the aquavit in the lineup this was the one I really wanted to try with food. I think it would compliment strong smoked meats or preserved fish very well, but maybe as a digestif rather than an accompaniment. “Above Average” : 82/100 (3.25 stars)

Aquavit tasting, 17 December 2022, aquavit #4 Nose: Resinous, with aromas of pine needles and fresh-cut pine wood. Fragrant citrus (orange, lemon), anise, caraway and peppermint. Palate: Spicy arrival with a host of baking spices, juniper, coriander and curry leaf. The palate is a little hot and hard, with a somewhat raw quality. Finish: Medium/long. Spicy and resinous into the aftertaste. This aquavit had the most interesting nose of the tasting selection with a near explosion of herbal and pine-forest notes. We were told that it is produced by a farm distillery and local caraway, dandelion, fir shoots, watercress and meadowsweet are sourced for the recipe, and that it is sweetened with honey. However as much as I enjoyed the demonstrative nose of this one, for me the palate was the least balanced and refined of the lineup. I felt it had a hot and almost harsh quality even though at 38% abv it was the lowest proof spirit. It gave me the impression of being very young and unsettled. It was certainly an interesting aquavit to try but not one that I’d buy. “Above Average” : 81/100 (3 stars)