This article summarizes all about Moutai liquor. It also explains the differences in value based on the labels and how to tell them apart, so if you're interested in Moutai liquor, or if you own one and want to know its value, be sure to read this article.
About the Chinese luxury liquor "Moutai"
What is Moutai Liquor?
Maotai is a type of alcohol made in China. It is often treated as a luxury item among the many Chinese alcoholic beverages, and its name is well known in Japan as well. Maotai is made in Maotai Town, Renhuai City, northwest of Guizhou Province, China, and has a history that stretches back 800 years .
Boasting a long history and tradition, Moutai is considered one of the three major distilled spirits in the world , alongside the Scottish whiskey "Scotch" and the French brandy "Cognac." Its high value makes it the drink of choice for special ceremonies and diplomatic occasions.
It is a distilled alcoholic drink known as baijiu.
Maotai is a type of "baijiu" made in China. Baijiu is a distilled alcoholic drink made from grains such as sorghum, corn, potatoes, and sweet potatoes, and is characterized by its rich aroma. Among baijiu, Maotai is characterized by the large amount of grains used as ingredients, and the ingredients used are also carefully selected .Moutai
— Wally♥Shanghai♥♥♥娃哥 泾浜 (@Wally_Shanghai) June 10, 2023
The most luxurious white liquor
The manufacturer's suggested retail price is 969 yuan, and the recommended retail price is 1,499 yuan (53% alcohol/500ml), but the retail price has risen to around 2,500-3,000 yuan. This is because it is sold at a premium as a gift or for entertaining guests. Both manufacturers and distributors have very high profit margins, making it an easy way to make money from sorghum.
The market capitalization of the manufacturer, Guizhou Moutai, also surpassed that of Coca-Cola.
*2022 pic.twitter.com/bcujf5qX1D
In the manufacturing process, Maotai liquor is fermented for a long time. It is also aged for a long period of three years , which gives it a deep and delicate flavor . In addition, the water used is from the Chishui River, which is said to be of high quality. Distilled using water with low hardness, it has a subtle and elegant sweetness.
Characteristics of Maotai! How much alcohol does it contain?
Moutai liquor is made by carefully distilling a variety of ingredients, and is characterized by its transparent color with a slight yellow tint. Many of them have an alcohol content of over 50% , making them extremely powerful. Although it is powerful, it is not a rough strength, but rather has a dignified flavor that is suitable for special occasions.While most baijiu are generally high in alcohol and quite strong, Maotai's alcohol content is not extremely high for a baijiu, and it has a mellow taste due to aging, making it easy to drink .
How do you drink Moutai? It's strong, but you should drink it straight.
The alcohol content of Moutai is higher than that of whiskey or shochu, making it quite impactful. However, in China, it is considered basic to drink it straight . If you want to try it the authentic way to drink it, you should definitely drink it straight. It's best to enjoy it as it is, without chilling or warming it in any strange way.A party where we toast forever with Moutai.
— Kazuhiro Kikuchi / Sheep-Eating Association, Lamb Ambassador, Mala Grand Prix, Sichuan Festival (@kikuchicn) November 25, 2022
I've been drinking for 5 hours and I'm not drunk at all.
As expected, good white liquor is different. pic.twitter.com/hsIOtnjGEX
Drinking Maotai straight is very fragrant. We recommend that you first take your time to savor the aroma, then gulp it down. As the alcohol content is high, it is best to choose a small glass .
If you find the alcohol in Moutai too much for you, you can also drink it on the rocks with ice. Try it out and find the balance that suits you best, being careful not to drink too much.
Why is Moutai so expensive? Focus on its rarity and award history
Among the Maotai liquors, the one that is considered to be a high-end product is "Kuizhou Moutai Liquor." Guizhou is the name of the Guizhou province in China, and is also the general name of the manufacturer. "Kuizhou Moutai Liquor" is a traditional product produced in a limited area of Guizhou province in China .Bid for limited edition "Handi Moutai" suddenly canceled after 190 billion yen auction
— True Tonkin (@tonkin999999) May 20, 2022
"Handi Moutai" is a legendary luxury liquor produced in 1992 by Kweichow Moutai, a major manufacturer of high-end baijiu (a Chinese distilled liquor), in a limited run of 10 bottles.
Kweichow Moutai liquor is now highly valued. There are even bottles that cost over 100,000 to 1,000,000 yen each . Kweichow Moutai liquor is also famous for being a rare liquor that is hard to obtain, and is currently the subject of high-value transactions on the market.
The biggest reason why Moutai is so highly valued is because it is so labor-intensive to produce . Because it takes time to distill and age, it takes more than five years from production to shipping. It requires a lot of ingredients, which increases the price of each bottle.
Furthermore, there are rare bottles of Moutai liquor. Among the lineup of Moutai liquor, there are bottles that were produced in small numbers and bottles that have already been discontinued , and the market value of these rare bottles is increasing day by day. Of course, there are many lovers of Moutai as a drink, but there are also an increasing number of people who buy Moutai liquor for collection purposes, for resale, and as an asset. This situation is the factor that is driving up the price of Moutai liquor.
Moutai also won a gold medal at the San Francisco World's Fair in 1915. Sales to the world began in the 1950s, and it is now known worldwide. Another reason for the rise in value and price of Moutai is that buyers are not only from within China but all over the world. Given these circumstances, it is expected that the value of Moutai will continue to increase in the future.
Be careful, there are many fakes of Moutai
As mentioned earlier, the only liquor that is truly valuable as Moutai is the one made in Guizhou Province, China, called Kweichow Moutai. However, in recent years, counterfeit products claiming to be Kweichow Moutai have become rampant, so you need to be careful .Yesterday, when I was drinking with the president of a certain factory, Moutai was served.
— Shin Dongguan Doshitan @ Guangdong Province, China 🐉 (@InomataJunji) October 14, 2022
"There are a lot of fakes out there these days. The kind that give you a headache the next day. The real Moutai doesn't give you a headache the next day. This is genuine Moutai liquor that I bought through a reliable source."
I only had a little bit of Moutai yesterday but I have a terrible headache today! It's totally fake!
Just as there are counterfeits of branded goods in circulation, unfortunately there are also counterfeits of Moutai. The reality is that counterfeits that are in circulation are designed to resemble Moutai but have a different appearance, and of course the quality of the contents is low.
Selling counterfeit goods is, of course, a crime. In China, counterfeit Moutai liquor is subject to crackdowns , and enforcement is stepped up periodically. However, counterfeit Moutai liquor still circulates in the market. Drinkers and buyers should be careful not to get caught with a counterfeit. Check to see if there are any rough marks on the label that make it look like a copy, or if the design is different in the first place . There are also some very malicious methods of filling genuine bottles with counterfeit liquor, so it's important to check the cap for signs of opening.
If you want to try Moutai, make sure to buy or order it from a trusted store. Be careful, as it can be especially difficult to spot counterfeits on online stores. Moutai comes in multiple labels, so remembering the characteristics of each will reduce the risk of being sold a fake.
Types of Maotai liquor and how to tell them apart! How much do they cost to buy?
From here, we will explain the different types of Moutai liquor and how to tell them apart. Please use this as a reference when learning about the characteristics of genuine Moutai liquor. Even if Moutai liquor is a genuine product, its market value varies depending on the label. We will also explain the price, so please use this as a reference.<Kuizhou Moutai Sunflower>
We purchased Kweichow Moutai Sunflower 🔥
— Liquor purchase specialty store 🍷✨ Linksus (@liquor_linxas30) September 22, 2021
Thank you 😊 https://t.co/2Uf6KOaRol #Alcohol #Purchase #Moutai #Whiskey #Brandy #Champagne #Wine #Domestic Whiskey #Kanagawa # Yokohamapic.twitter.com/VGLxiyHrhL
- Purchase price: Approximately 500,000 to 1,000,000 yen
- Characteristics: 55% alcohol content, rich taste, most bottles are rare and high-end
<Kuizhou Moutai Liquor Tennyo Label>
- Purchase price: Approximately 200,000 to 500,000 yen
- Characteristics: There are bottles from various eras, and the older bottles are more valuable.
In recent years, bottles often have the year written on the cap film. If you have an old-looking bottle of Maotai liquor without the year written on the film, we recommend that you have a professional appraiser evaluate the price .
<Kweichow Moutai Five Star>
Kweichow Moutai Five Star Early 90s [White Liquor] (for sale) #Tsukino Michipic.twitter.com/fbmpWHy6pK
— Moon Path Soulstory Shinkoenji Bar Komura Sakuma Wine Sommelier (@komurasakuma) March 22, 2018
- Purchase price: Approximately 100,000 to 300,000 yen
- Features: Most of the bottles are eligible for high prices due to their unique designs that are not available in current products
Naturally, it is difficult to obtain, and therefore commands a high price.
<Kuizhou Moutai Gold Label>
Kweizhou Moutai Precious Maotai Tennyo Label is now in stock! #Maotai #Moutai #Gold Label #Tennyo Labelpic.twitter.com/6RQAWlSA8W
— Reuse Republic Kannana Kasai Store (@reuse_republic) November 19, 2022
- Purchase price: Approximately 150,000 yen
- Characteristics: The gold label gives it a luxurious feel. There are current versions available, but the old bottles are much more valuable.
An old gold label bottle can be worth 100,000 to 150,000 yen.
<Kweichow Moutai 15 Years>
- Purchase price: Approximately 100,000 yen
- Features: A special Maotai liquor aged for 15 years, with luxurious packaging and accessories
Due to the long aging period, the number of bottles produced is small, making it highly valuable. Older products are often priced at over 100,000 yen.
For rare Maotai liquor, ask a specialist liquor store to appraise it.
As we have explained so far, Moutai is a very rare liquor, and it is expected to sell for a high price. It is not uncommon for a single bottle of Moutai to be worth hundreds of thousands of yen, especially if it is an old bottle. There are even bottles that cost over 1 million yen. In fact, there are bottles of Moutai that have been sold at auction for over 100 million yen.
If you have Maotai but don't plan on drinking it, why not apply for an appraisal from a specialist buying store ? With an appraisal, you can find out the value of your Maotai, and if you're happy with the price, you can sell it on the spot and convert it into cash.
The value of Maotai liquor varies greatly depending on the bottle, so if you want to trade safely and securely, we recommend using a specialized buying store rather than sites like Mercari or Yahoo! Auctions. A specialized buying store with professional appraisers who are knowledgeable about alcohol can prevent problems such as counterfeit sales and price mistakes.
Linksus, a liquor buying specialty store, is currently strengthening the buying of Moutai liquor . We can handle the buying and appraisal of various bottles such as Moutai liquor such as the "Sunflower Bottle" and "Tennyo Label" introduced here, as well as "Kuizhou Moutai 50 Year Old" and "Kuizhou Moutai 30 Year Old", so please contact us first. The buying and appraisal of Moutai liquor is available at no cost to the customer, and we can handle in- store buying, on-site buying , and mail-order buying .
Tips for getting a high price for your Moutai liquor
- Determining the age from labels and markings
- Keep the bottle as clean as possible
- Please bring all accessories such as boxes for appraisal.
- Possibility of increasing the appraisal value by selling in bulk
If you have multiple liquors you want to sell, it is easier to get a higher appraisal value if you have them appraised all at once. It is also possible to sell them in combination with other liquors besides Moutai, so if you have a liquor collection, be sure to organize them and think about which liquors to have appraised.
Click here to purchase Kweichow Moutai liquor
summary
Among Kweichow Moutai liquor, there are bottles that are worth tens of thousands to over 1 million yen per bottle. In particular, old bottles and old Moutai liquor are often priced at high prices and are gaining more and more attention. Of course, you should pay attention not only to the price but also to the high quality of the taste.Maotai is packed with a uniquely Chinese charm that wine, whiskey, and sake do not have. It is a rare drink that is hard to find, but if you have the chance, why not give it a try?