Little Lang

Nose: Pineapple, over-ripe apricots, grilled banana, clay, earth, old floorboards. On the dry glass there is an aroma of stale urine (WTF?!?) Palate: Sweet, oily pineapple extract and grilled banana on the arrival, a typical "strong aroma" baijiu profile. The development is swift and does not offer a lot more, but towards the finish it changes course and presents as a "sauce aroma" baijiu, with bean paste and mushroom flavours predominating. There is a zesty astringent quality that is common for baijiu but not found in any other spirit – a sort of gentle earthy prickle on the palate that has a simultaneously sweet, salty and tangy taste. Finish: Medium. The fruity, mainly pineapple, presence that has dominated throughout gently fades into an umami aftertaste. Xiao Lang (Little Lang) is produced by the Langjiu distillery, which is located on the banks of the Chishui River in Sichuan Province. It is the top selling small package baijiu in China and more of it is sold annually than Glenfiddich 12. Yeah, let that sink in. This is an “hybrid aroma” baijiu, which refers to its twofold profile that starts out as strong-aroma but finishes as sauce-aroma. It is very drinkable neat but can also be used in cocktails or mixed drinks. It even works quite well with tonic water (I'm still getting over that shock). This is, like all baijiu, an acquired taste and the aroma is even more unfamiliar. Mrs Cascode nosed this and declared it to have the aroma of artificial pineapple essence, dirty clothes, urea and sweaty feet. I can understand this reaction but note she was smelling my dry glass, and the aroma of this spirit changes through the tasting. To start with it is much fresher and very fruity, and the unusual urea quality is only plain on the dry glass. I think it is the aroma of the "qu" itself showing through (qu is the culture medium that both saccharifies and ferments the grain). If this review is off-putting I apologize – I can only call ‘em as I see ‘em and this is a very alien profile to me, but note that I refilled my glass 3 times while doing this review, and I continue to find this a fascinating, delicious and absorbing spirit, and not at all unpleasant … just weird. I’m calling it an above average example of baijiu, but please take that assessment with many grains of salt – I’m a novice with this remarkable family of spirits. The price is for a 100ml bottle. “Above Average” : 82/100 (3.25 stars)