WSJ's China-bashing flavour of the week: Moutai!
WSJ is bashing Moutai baijiu for being overpriced, and overhyped, and insinuating that it tastes sucks. Why? Because its Chinese. Well for sure its overpriced and overhyped. It is a classic Chinese status product, a historical brand, and a luxury brand. Its just like the Cognacs, Bourbons, Whiskeys, and Champagnes you Westerners overhype and overprice too. I have no problem if people call Moutai overpriced, but I have a problem when people say that it sucks because its Chinese.
A few things I would like to rant about WSJ in that video:
1) WSJ said: "Moutai is too expensive for young people in China. Economy is bad, so they can't afford it anymore"
- What an idiotic thing to say. Moutai is not targeted at the budget-friendly booze market. They already have many other entry-level brands for that. How come you WSJ idiots never questioned whether Moet & Chandon is too expensive for the cash-strapped young peoples in America?
2) WSJ said: "Moutai is not popular globally. It only sells to the odd Chinese overseas."
- Then you WSJ people have been living under a rock. Moutai is already quite established among the overseas Chinese diaspora for more than a decade already. Moutai is like old news now in the overseas Chinese markets. It is now the big and established luxury brand for baijiu. Kinda like what Henessy is for Cognac. Right now, other baijiu brands are gaining traction overseas too, like Wuliangye 五粮液, Luzhou Laojiao 泸州老窖, and even newer brands.
3) WSJ said: "An overseas drinker don't get what Moutai is. It tastes like ethanol."
- LOL! This is the dumbest thing I've ever heard. What? Never drank hard liquor before? Off course it tastes like ethanol! All drinkable alcohol is composed of ethanol! That's what you will smell from any type of hard liquor, be it Vodka, Rum, Gin, Cognac, Brandy, or Whiskey!
WSJ is insinuating that Moutai sucks. Its 53% abv is too high, it tastes like medical alcohol, or nobody other than the Chinese likes it. No, Moutai and other baijiu's doesn't just taste like ethanol. There also have complex fermented flavours of soy sauce, herbs, and a long aftertaste of sorghum. They can be just as complex as fine Brandy, Scotch, and Bourbon, but with a very Chinese taste. Baijiu can be quite unappealing to first time drinkers, but after taking it in a few times, you can start to appreciate the taste. You can either love it or hate it. But WSJ cannot pass judgement that it sucks because its Chinese. That's just racism.
