Little Lang

Smell: Pineapple, overripe apricots, grilled banana, clay, earth, old floorboards. On the dry glass, there's an aroma of stale urine (what the heck!?) Taste: Sweet, oily pineapple extract and grilled banana upon arrival, a typical "strong aroma" baijiu profile. The development is quick and doesn't offer much more, but towards the finish it changes direction and presents as a "sauce aroma" baijiu, with bean paste and mushroom flavors dominating. There's a zesty, astringent quality common to baijiu but not found in any other spirit – a sort of gentle, earthy tingle on the palate that has a simultaneously sweet, salty, and tangy taste. Aftertaste: Medium. The fruity, mainly pineapple, presence that has dominated throughout gently fades into an umami aftertaste. This is produced by the Langjiu distillery, located on the banks of the Chishui River in Sichuan Province. It's the top-selling small package baijiu in China, and more of it is sold annually than Glenfiddich 12. Let that sink in. This is a "hybrid aroma" baijiu, referring to its dual profile that starts as strong-aroma but finishes as sauce-aroma. It's very drinkable neat but can also be used in cocktails or mixed drinks. It even works quite well with tonic water (I'm still recovering from that shock). Like all baijiu, this is an acquired taste, and the aroma is even more unfamiliar. My partner smelled this and declared it to have the aroma of artificial pineapple essence, dirty clothes, urea, and sweaty feet. I can understand that reaction, but note she was smelling my dry glass, and the aroma of this spirit changes during tasting. Initially, it's much fresher and very fruity, and the unusual urea quality is only apparent on the dry glass. I believe it's 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 describe it as I perceive it, and this is a very foreign profile to me. However, I refilled my glass three times while doing this review, and I continue to find this a fascinating, delicious, and engaging spirit, and not at all unpleasant… just unusual. I'm calling it an above-average example of baijiu, but please take that assessment with a large grain of salt – I'm new to this remarkable family of spirits. The price is for a 100ml bottle. "Above Average": 82/100 (3.25 stars)