Maotai

choi

Zou Wei, Popular Liquor Is Hard to Buy, Tough to Swallow; Maotai, a status symbol. tastes 'very much like ethanol' to some. Wall Street Journal, Nov 1, 2019 (front page).
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the ... tand-it-11572558897
("hina’s Kweichow Moutai Co. has become the world's most valuable liquor company thanks to a fiery spirit that can cost nearly $400 a bottle.  The spirit is baijiu, a Chinese liquor made by fermenting sorghum or other grains in brick or mud pits. The company’s version, known simply as Moutai * * * The taste is 'very much like ethanol,' said Jenny Miao, a 26-year-old market researcher in Shanghai. * * * Moutai's value continues to swell beyond what many people think it is worth. * * * ts producer, Kweichow Moutai, keeps supplies limited and takes at least five years to make its most famous variety, called Moutai Flying Fairy 茅台飞天酒. * * * The company advises retailers charge 1,499 yuan, or $213, for a half-liter bottle of the clear spirit, which is 53% alcohol. But some stores in Shanghai demand 2,800 yuan, nearly $400, or more. * * * Xue Yuhu, a Shanghai-based analyst with Founder Securities Co. , said the drink is like a designer handbag: its value is enhanced by a hefty price tag. * * * The buzz has helped shares in Shanghai-listed Kweichow Moutai gain 97% this year for a market value of about $210 billion—making it more valuable than British producer Diageo PLC, which has a market value of about $96 billion. * * * At Costco’s new Shanghai outpost, shoppers have been lining up for hours to buy Moutai at 1,499 yuan, or $213, for a half-liter bottle")

My comment: There is no need to read the rest, though the report is available for free.