Taste & Compare
How is baijiu different from whisky or vodka? What sets strong aroma apart from sauce and light aroma? And what does “pure grain, solid-state” really mean? This page explains.
Comparison 1
Baijiu is the only major spirit built on solid-state fermentation and solid-state distillation. A different method makes a completely different flavour.
| Aspect | Qifu · Nongxiang baijiu | Scotch whisky | Vodka | Cognac |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raw material | Five grains: sorghum, wheat, rice, glutinous rice, corn | Malted barley | Grain, potato and others | Grapes (white wine) |
| Starter | Daqu: wild yeasts, moulds and bacteria working together | Malt enzymes + cultured yeast | Enzymes or malt + cultured yeast | Wine yeast |
| Fermentation | Solid-state: damp grain sealed in mud pits for about two months | Liquid wash, about 2–3 days | Liquid, a few days | Liquid wine fermentation, weeks |
| Distillation | Steam passes through the solid grain in a zeng still; only the heart is kept | Copper pot stills, usually twice | Column still to near-neutral strength | Charentais copper stills, twice |
| Ageing | Clay jars that breathe; no wood | Oak casks, at least 3 years by law | Usually unaged | Oak casks, at least 2 years |
| Typical strength | 38–60% vol (Bainian Qifu · 8: 52%) | ≥40% vol | ≥37.5% vol (EU) | ≥40% vol |
| Where flavour comes from | Esters from qu, pit-mud microbes and long fermentation | Malt, still shape and oak | Designed to be neutral | Grapes and oak |
Other columns describe common practice and EU/UK legal minimums for each category; individual products vary.
Research
Qifu’s pure-grain, solid-state fermentation naturally creates hundreds of trace compounds. Several have drawn the attention of food and pharmaceutical researchers — each of the compounds below was detected in Qifu laboratory testing, shown with what published studies found.
Detected in Qifu laboratory testing
TMP research centres on cardiovascular function. In animal-tissue and cell experiments it lessened oxidative damage to the vascular endothelium and improved impaired vasodilation; in diabetic rats it curbed platelet over-activation and adhesion to the vessel wall.
eCAM 2014 (vascular function)
Phytomedicine 2021, 96:153860 (platelets)
Detected in Qifu laboratory testing
In cell experiments, AKRA reduced the build-up of excess reactive oxygen species, helped maintain glutathione and antioxidant-enzyme activity and lessened lipid oxidation, suggesting it helps cells cope with oxidative stress. Different peptides act differently; total peptide content alone says little.
Detected in Qifu laboratory testing · flavour phenols with smoky, clove-like notes
Cell studies found both phenols strengthen cells’ own antioxidant defences and lessen induced oxidative damage; 4-ethylguaiacol also suppressed inflammatory signalling and cytokine production in an inflammatory cell model.
RSC Advances 2018 (antioxidant)
J. Agric. Food Chem. 2019, 67(4):1230 (inflammation)
These are compound-level laboratory studies (cell or animal experiments) using concentrations higher than those found naturally in baijiu. Please drink in moderation.
Comparison 2
Baijiu is classified by aroma. The three main styles differ from the fermentation vessel onward. Qifu is traditional strong aroma — China’s most popular style.
Flavour dots are a general style guide, not lab measurements; products within one style vary widely.
Comparison 3
China’s best-known baijiu differ in style, region and grain. Set side by side, they show where Qifu stands: a Sichuan five-grain strong aroma from the famous Mianzhu region.
Qifu by the numbers
| Feature | Qifu | Moutai | Wuliangye | Luzhou Laojiao | Jiannanchun | Fenjiu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aroma style | Strong | Sauce | Strong | Strong | Strong | Light |
| Grains used | 5 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| Mud-pit fermentation | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Sichuan heartland | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Mianzhu region | ✓ | — | — | — | ✓ | — |
| Flagship strength | 52% | 53% | 52% | 52% | 52% | 53% |
| Family-run, direct from the distillery | ✓ | — | — | — | — | — |
One bottle of Qifu brings together the five-grain recipe, mud-pit strong aroma, the classic 52% strength and the famous Mianzhu region — sent by one family, straight from the distillery to your table.
| Baijiu | Style | Region | Grain | Pits & fermentation | Character |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moutai | Sauce | Renhuai, Guizhou — Chishui River | Sorghum (wheat qu) | Stone-walled pits; one-year cycle, the “12987” method | Savoury, roasted; the empty cup keeps its scent |
| Wuliangye | Strong | Yibin, Sichuan | Five grains: sorghum, rice, glutinous rice, wheat, corn | Mud-pit solid-state fermentation | Multi-grain, rounded and harmonious |
| Luzhou Laojiao | Strong | Luzhou, Sichuan | Single grain: sorghum | Mud pits, some in use since 1573 | Deep pit aroma, pure single-grain |
| Jiannanchun | Strong | Mianzhu, Sichuan | Five grains | Low-temperature mud-pit fermentation; pits from the Kangxi era | Rich aroma, full and soft |
| Fenjiu | Light | Xinghuacun, Fenyang, Shanxi | Sorghum | Ceramic jars buried in the ground | Clean, crisp and floral |
| Qifu · Bainian Qifu | Strong | Xiaode, Mianzhu, Sichuan | Five grains: sorghum, wheat, rice, glutinous rice, corn | Yellow-clay pits under a red-grain cap, ~60 days solid-state | Full pit aroma, soft sweetness, long clean finish |
We share the Mianzhu region with Jiannanchun: the same Longmen spring water, yellow clay and humid, misty climate.
Like Wuliangye and Jiannanchun we brew from five grains — the Sichuan multi-grain strong-aroma school, layered and balanced.
Qifu has been run by one family since 1978 and ships direct from the distillery — a famous-region baijiu that is still new to most overseas markets.
Brand details come from public sources and are given only to explain differences in style, region and grain. Trademarks belong to their owners; Qifu is not affiliated with these brands.
Comparison 4
China’s baijiu standards, in force since 2022, sort baijiu into three methods — and say that spirit flavoured with additives may no longer be called baijiu at all.
Grain and qu, fermented and distilled as a solid. The strong-aroma standard (GB/T 10781.1-2021) forbids adding edible alcohol, or any colour, aroma or flavour that did not come from its own fermentation.
The way Qifu makes baijiu
A blend of some solid-state baijiu with liquid-method spirit made from grain-based edible alcohol.
Grain fermented as a liquid, or spirit built on grain-based edible alcohol.
Made with added flavourings to imitate baijiu. Under the current standards it is a blended drink, not baijiu.
Turn to the back label and check two things: the product type should read solid-state baijiu (固态法白酒), and the standard should be the solid-state standard for that style (for strong aroma, GB/T 10781.1). The ingredients should be only water, grain and qu.
Comparison 5
Three national standards govern baijiu: what may be called baijiu, the quality grades for strong aroma, and food-safety limits. Qifu takes the strictest path through them — and keeps doing more where the standards are silent.
Per GB/T 17204-2021 and GB/T 10781.1-2021
Grain
Fermentation
Pits
Ageing
Cut & blend
| Measure | China (GB) | EU 2019/787 | Bainian Qifu · 8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | High-strength strong aroma: 40–68% vol | Spirit drinks ≥ 15% vol; vodka ≥ 37.5%; whisky ≥ 40% | 52% |
| Total acids & esters (flavour) | Premium ≥ 35.0 mmol/L; first grade ≥ 30.0 | No equivalent | Test report on request |
| Methanol (per 100% alcohol) | Grain spirits ≤ 0.6 g/L | Set per category | Complies with GB 2757 |
| Cyanide (as HCN) | ≤ 8.0 mg/L | Under EU food-safety law | Complies with GB 2757 |
| Additives | Solid-state: no edible alcohol, no outside colour, aroma or flavour | Whisky: only caramel colouring allowed, no sweetening | ✓ Water, grain and qu only |
| Ageing | Not specified for strong aroma | Whisky: ≥ 3 years in wood | Clay jars |
Sources: GB/T 17204-2021, GB/T 10781.1-2021 (in force 1 April 2022), GB 2757-2012 (food safety: distilled spirits), Regulation (EU) 2019/787.
How to taste
Pour a small cup. It should be crystal clear; swirl and watch the tears.
Start at a distance, then closer. Strong aroma opens with pit aroma, pineapple-like fruit and grain.
Take a small sip and let it coat the tongue. Good baijiu is soft and sweet, not harsh.
Breathe out after swallowing and notice the long, clean finish. Nose the empty cup too.
Drink in moderation
Good baijiu is for savouring, not for competing. Following China’s official dietary guidelines, we advocate moderation: small cups, sipped slowly, shared with people you care about.
Chinese Nutrition Society · 2022
Adults who drink should consume no more than 15 g of alcohol a day. Children and adolescents, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and people with chronic illness should not drink.
Calculation: 15 g ÷ 0.789 g/ml (density of alcohol) ÷ 52% ≈ 36 ml. This is the guideline’s upper limit, not a recommended amount.
Source: Chinese Nutrition Society, Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022). Serving guidance only, not medical advice.
Welcome to Qifu
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