Chishui River: History for Maotai-flavor liquor away 60 kilometers

Chishui River originates from Zhenxiong County in the northeast of Yunnan, crossing remote mountains and gorges running from the east of Bijie City and Dafang, and reaches Maotai Town. Here, it suddenly changes direction towards north through Xishui of Guizhou, into ErLang Town, Gulin County, Szechwan. The river is winding in the north at the junction of Sichuan-Guizhou among the high mountains and lofty hills, then it finally flows from Hokiang into Yangtze River of Szechwan, with about 500 kilometers of the overall length. As for geographical position, Chishui River is the whole “Wine Center” in China. The T-shaped region is formed by Chishui River and Yangtze River, where there are Yibin, Luzhou Gulin in the west and Renhuai, Zunyi, Xishui in the east beside it. In this region, there are only the typical representative liquors, such as Maotai-flavor liquor, Wuliangye liquor, Old pits, Honghualang liquor, DongJiu liquor, but also the local known liquor like Chishuihe, Xishuidaqu, Rare distillate, Yaxijiaojiu and Jianzhuangdaqu etc. In Chishui region, there are many well-known liquors within 100 kilometers.

Among the remote mountains, rivers and valleys, there are two towns echoing each other at a distance——Maotai Town and ErLang Town, with just 60 kilometers. The fragrant bouquet is diffused from river of 60 kilo meters’, which is the peculiar fragrance——Maotai flavor liquor. Maotai flavor liquor, the Three-top distilled liquor in the world, the core producing area of China’s Maotai style liquor, is produced here. The miraculous area is shaped by the characteristic climate, soil, water quality and micropopulation, with the supreme skill in China Alcoholic Drinks like living fossil.

On 3rd January, the eighth day of the twelfth moon in lunar calendar, Chishui River, Maotai Town

In the morning with mist, the slight smog diffuses from all directions in Maotai Town. The biggest smog is from the towering chimney in this town, where is the powerhouse for the piping hot steam in Maotai winery. More smog, moisture and the full-tasting vinasse taste smell out from the courtyard and under the eave, where are the workshops and wineries.

It is the time that we come, and the wineries and workshops are busy with taking liquors in the Maotai Town. The production of Maotai-flavor liquor is for once a year, in the light of climate and through 2 times of feeding capacity, 9 times of distillation and Jiaqu, 7 times of taking liquor,with hot fermentation and liquor output in high temperature, for 5 years’ storage, which can be come onto the market after the completion. Half a kilogram liquor is produced by 4 to 5 jins of grains.

The first distillation liquor output period is December of the first year to January of the second year. The time of the first liquor output is 11 days, for near a month from the middle ten days of December. In the workshop, workers work in double shifts, with one shift for 8 steamers of liquor and 2 at the same time.

As a traditional roasting tool, the steamer is about 1.5 meters in diameter and 1 meters in height, with 750 kilograms of stillage. Steam pours from the lower end of steamer and air out from the freeing pipe of the upper end of steamer into the condenser——a circulated cold-water vat——outflow from the lower end of water pipe of condenser. With different boiling points between alcohol and water, the liquor of high concentration can be produced.

The vinosity from Maotai winery is spicy and acerb, standing at the mouth of liquor output, choky smell is full in the air. The reason is that there are many things of low boiling point in the liquor, which volatilizes rapidly in the air. Extracting the liquor in high temperature is a operating principle for Maotai-flavor liquor, though it will affect the amount of liquor, it can volatilize the harmful materials.

The roasted distiller is spread out on the floor, emitting white smoke and sending out the full-tasting “The aroma of distiller”, and workers are turn over it by wood scoop as hoe land. Workers of winery with bare feet and trouser legs rolled up, are running back and forth in the claret-colored distiller's yeast. Different from other small winery, the workshop isn’t needed to build boiler separately but to offer steam intensively. There is also a electric vehicle in the workshop, which can glide on the rooftop and snatch at distiller from pit. According to the Maotai’s technical standard, 70 to 80 Jin liquors can be roasted in each steamer, which is for the better quality balance.

To be continued…………