Maotai

Maotai
茅台

Type	Baijiu, Jiangxiang
Manufacturer	Kweichow Moutai, and others
Country of origin	China
Region of origin	Guizhou
Introduced	Qing Dynasty
Alcohol by volume	38%-53%
Colour	Clear
Ingredients	Sorghum

Maotai or Moutai (simplified Chinese: 茅台; traditional Chinese: 茅臺; pinyin: máotái) is a style of baijiu made in the town of Maotai, Guizhou Province, China. Maotai is made from sorghum, a wheat based qū, and water from the Chishui River, and it uses traditional Chinese techniques of fermentation, distillation, and aging, to produce a spirit with a nutty, grain forward and savory aroma and flavor.^[1][2]

The most famous and certainly best selling manifestation of maotai is produced by Kweichow Moutai, so successful in fact that it has become the most valuable spirits brand not just in China but in the world as a whole.^[3] However, despite common misconception, Kweichow Moutai is not the only producer of maotai, nor do they own any exclusive right to the name. Maotai must simply be produced in the town of Maotai and follow the production guidelines as laid out in regulation.