Wuliangye Yibin is one of the largest baijiu producers in China; they’re a huge brand with a staggering market cap of something like $68 billion USD (currently!). Their eponymous mix always uses five grains (wu = five, liang = grain). Reportedly they’ve perfected their blend at:
36% sorghum
22% rice
18% glutinous rice
16% wheat
8% corn
This bottle is Wu Liang Chun Jiu, a fairly low-end implementation that retails around $20-30. Distilled and proofed to 50%. It’s strong, and has the normal characteristics you can expect in strong-aroma baijiu: sweet, horsey, tangy.
Our tasting panel found notes of fermented berries and dark chocolate in the nose; it’s fruity beneath the strong barnyard smell. On the palate you mind discover a bit of ginger, a hint of orange. But those elegant tasting notes are deceptive; this is a fairly rough burn for strong-aroma baijiu. Go for the upscale Wuliangye if you can instead.
