Fenjiu Black Baijiu

Nose: Earth, herbs, green vegetables, cereal, ethanol, citrus oil. Palate: Sweet arrival, green vegetables but with an astringent edge. The presence of ethanol is never far away but it is cloaked in vegetal, mineral and herbal flavours. The texture is neutral, neither oily nor thin, and there is a hint of salt. Finish: Medium/short. Funky, herbal cereals that fade rapidly into a simple white pepper aftertaste that swings between sweet, sour and briny. There is a little wet cardboard as well. Fenjiu is made by the Xinghuacun Fenjiu Distillery in the northern province of Shanxi (bottles also show the name in the older Anglicised form of "Fen Chiew"). This is a colourless, transparent spirit, not black. Fen Jiu Black is a standard core range brand, like Johnnie Walker Black. This is the first light-aroma style baijiu I have tried, and I’m missing the intense fruit esters you get in strong-aroma baijiu. This is crisp and clean and there is quite a lot going on, and while there is a family resemblance to the more pungent styles this is much closer to an herbal/vegetal flavoured vodka. The nose is vaguely similar to some agave spirits, but more funky and complicated, and it also reminds me of some clairin and rhums agricole. Its not that the aromas or flavours of those spirits are similar, but they all share an earthy, hogo quality that is present in each case (I think) from wild yeasts and partial bacterial fermentation. It’s also vaguely reminiscent of shochu (but that is more delicate) and also sake (but that is way more elegant). This has an attractive quality and its lower congener profile would probably make it interesting in cocktails, but don’t ask me what ingredients you would put with it - I imagine this would be very hard to combine with western mixers. Maybe fruit juices? I’ve only tried it neat at room temperature so far but the label suggests either over ice or slightly warmed as alternatives … on to further experimentation. ------------------------------------------------ Update 15 January 2024 Having just finished off this bottle I have to say it is one of my less favourite baijiu expressions so far. Familiarity did not breed either contempt or love - it was just the same every time until I was eventually glad to see the bottle killed off. Using it chilled over rocks with pineapple juice and a slice of orange was my favourite way to take it, which may make purists shiver with disgust. No change to the original rating assessment, and I won't be buying it again. -------------------------------------------------- “Above Average” : 82/100 (3.25)