Nestled amidst fertile lands and blessed by the proximity of the Yanghe River, Yanghe Town in eastern China has been a bustling hub of liquor production for well over a millennia. The town is known for its “Yanghe liquor” since ancient times, a product which has captivated the palates of merchants across many provinces, and even served as royal tributes. This long period saw the development of distillation techniques and the refinement of traditional recipes that contribute to the distinctive character of the modern Yanghe Baijiu.

What truly sets Yanghe Baijiu apart from other historic baijiu brands, however, is the many vibrant threads of myths and legends that connect this remarkable liquor to stories of divine intervention, cunning military strategy and the indomitable spirit of human triumph.

One such tale speaks of Lü Dongbin, one of the Eight Immortals in Taoist mythology. One day, Lü Dongbin who was astride his enchanted white goat and carrying a bag of celestial grain, was journeying across the heavens when a tantalising aroma wafts up from the mortal realm, drawing him irresistibly towards Yanghe Town. Investigating this alluring scent, the deity discovers the source – the exquisite liquor being brewed at Yanghe Town. Unable to resist, he indulges in the liquor, but in his revelry, he inadvertently forgets his magical goat and the bag of heavenly grain. According to legend, these divine gifts transform the region: the celestial grain blessing farmers with abundant harvests, while the enchanted goat became a bringer of prosperity and good fortune.

This legend is immortalised in the very brand logo of Yanghe Baijiu today, which features a goat encircled by golden stalks of grain – a direct homage to Lü Dongbin's mythical visit.

A more believable tale occurs during the tumultuous transition from the Ming to the Qing Dynasty involving the folk hero General Shi Kefa. A brilliant military strategist, Shi Kefa found himself defending Yanghe Town against the encroaching Manchu forces, led by the formidable commander Dorgon, who later helped to found the Qing Dynasty. During that time, the reputation of Yanghe’s famed liquor had already preceded China, and the Manchus were well aware of the famous baijiu. To motivate his troops, Dorgon promised them they could indulge in the town's legendary liquor to their hearts' content once they captured it. A seemingly simple promise, it was incredibly effective in motivating troops at a time when such luxuries were scarce and highly prized.

Depiction of a battle during the Manchu conquest of China which established the Qing Dynasty.

Shi Kefa intercepted this information and devised a cunning counter-strategy. He ordered his troops to construct a diversionary canal south of the town. Under the cover of night, they transported all the precious liquor barrels to this hidden location. Then, in a calculated move, Shi Kefa withdrew his soldiers from Yanghe Town, making it appear vulnerable and ripe for the taking.

As anticipated, the Manchu forces, lured by the promise of readily available spoils, stormed into the seemingly undefended town. But instead of finding jubilant celebrations, they encountered a deserted town, with only the townspeople fleeing south, conspicuously carrying what appeared to be liquor. Overcome by thirst and greed, the Manchu soldiers abandoned their strategic positions and recklessly pursued the fleeing townspeople. This chase led them to the newly dug canal, where, to their delight, they discovered abandoned barrels of Yanghe liquor. The Manchu soldiers descended into a chaotic frenzy of drinking.

Seizing this opportune moment, Shi Kefa signalled his troops to destroy a dam constructed upstream. A torrent of water surged down the canal, catching the intoxicated and unsuspecting Manchu forces completely off guard. The floodwaters swept through their ranks, securing a resounding victory for the Ming troops and etching Shi Kefa's name into the annals of military legend.

The fabled Lanman River still exists today and serves as a drainage canal for the Yanghe Distillery.

The canal where Shi Kefa's claimed victory became known as the Lanman River (拦满河) which literally meant "Manchu Trap River", although after the Manchus eventually took power during the Qing Dynasty, the river had to be renamed. This river still exists in China today serving as a drainage canal for the Yanghe Distillery, but bears a disappointingly banal name that means something like "River Number Six".

These captivating legends, passed down through generations, have elevated the status of Yanghe Baijiu well beyond what other brands of baijiu could dream of; establishing the baijiu as a symbol of culture and history.

As far as recorded history knows, the famous Yanghe liquor was produced by a cluster of distilleries in the region since the ancient times of the Han Dynasty and as its reputation grew, it came to be a favoured tipple of emperors and elites by the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

The tumultuous period encompassing the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War leading up to the 1940s disrupted production in the region. However, following the establishment of the modern day government of China in 1949, the government stepped in to revive production, consolidating these producers into a state-owned enterprise – Jiangsu Yanghe Distillery Co., Ltd. From a modest 41 employee situation back then, the company grew at an astonishing rate to now boast a workforce of over 5,000.

But let’s get down to the liquor itself and how it’s made. For starters, Yanghe Baijiu is a Strong Aroma baijiu crafted from a mix of grains – glutinous sorghum, wheat, barley, and even peas. Yanghe Town is blessed with a warm-temperate monsoon climate, meaning distinct seasons, abundant sunshine, and just the right amount of rainfall. These conditions encourage the growth of beneficial microorganisms that contribute to the distinctive flavour profile of Yanghe Baijiu. For instance, the soil in this region is naturally rich in Clostridium butyricum a microbe that plays a key role in producing ethyl hexanoate, the flavour compound found in pineapples, apples and strawberries that gives Strong Aroma baijiu their signature sweet, fruity aroma.

The distillery boasts its water source of the Beauty Spring (美人泉), a high-quality water source connected to the Yanghe River, which provides a supply of mineral-rich water.

It's also remarkable that ancient liquor-making techniques honed over centuries continue to be used by the distillery today.

Apart from typical practices of Strong Aroma baijiu producers – such as the use of long-term fermentation pits – Yanghe utilizes the traditional "Old Five-Vat Method," a staggered liquor-making technique that involves five batches of liquor, with each batch cleverly reusing part of the fermented residue (known as "dunder" or 糟渣 in Chinese) from the previous cycle. This process fosters a complex ecosystem of microorganisms that contribute to further depth and complexity and helps to preserve consistency across batches.

The distillery also uses a low-temperature, slow fermentation technique to encourage development of nuanced flavours, and employ slow-fire distillation for careful control over the distillation process.

In recent years, they've been making a serious play for the international market, aiming to transform Yanghe into a global brand that appeals to palates beyond China. A key part of this strategy has been diversifying their product portfolio.

While Yanghe's core product remains the historic Yanghe Daqu, 2003 marked a turning point with the launch of the "Dream Blue" series. This series aims to elevate the baijiu experience, showcasing a more refined flavour profile and presenting it in sleek, modern packaging that speaks to a sense of luxury.

And guess what? We had the chance to taste both the iconic Yanghe Daqu as well as several expressions from the top end Dream Blue series.

The standard Yanghe Daqu is said to be crafted in accordance with the traditional recipe used to make Yanghe Baijiu for many centuries. The premium Dream Blue series offers a whole range of expressions made with baijiu of varying levels of maturity. In this tasting, we’ll be sampling the Dream Blue Crystal (aged in clay jars for about 10 years), Dream Blue M6+ (about 15 years) and Dream Blue M9 (about 20 years).

Yanghe Daqu (洋河大曲) Baijiu, 38% ABV – Review

Tasting Notes

Nose: Bright, fruity and candied. There's a distinct overripe, almost funky aroma reminiscent of tropical fruits, particularly lychee, which is balanced by softer notes of raspberry and candied plum. Beneath the fruit, I detect a slight edge of something akin to gasoline or solvent, but it's subtle and not unpleasant. Really quiet forward and expressive in the aromas with the fruits readily apparent.

Palate: A lovely thick mouth-coating texture. Opens with fresh, crisp fruitiness with robust notes of ripe pineapple and plum, intertwined with that characteristic baijiu funk. There's a very subtle spice and a lemon zest dryness that emerges to balance out the fruitness. Some perfumed floral sweetness lingers in the background, along with some lightly herbal, almost minty undertones.

Finish: Medium length with lingering impressions of the baijiu funk and a touch of lemon zest dryness.

My Thoughts

This flavourful and surprisingly approachable and smooth a baijiu. While the packaging may not be as sleek as the Dream Blue series, the quality of the spirit is undeniable. This is definitely not an entry-level baijiu.

Despite being bottled at a lower ABV of 38%, it's really generous in its flavour profile and displays a great initial fruitiness with distinctive personality of a drying finish. I can see this being a solid sipping baijiu that would pair well with a variety of Chinese dishes. Peking Duck anyone?

Dream Blue Crystal (梦之蓝-水晶版) Baijiu, 40.8% ABV ­– Review

Tasting Notes

Nose: Fruity and really complex. I find many of the same tropical fruit and soft berry notes as in the Yanghe Daqu, but they're presented in a more layered and subtle way. Pronounced notes of candied oranges and orange blossoms, along with an intriguing layer of mature savoury oxidative depth: toasted almonds and salted cashews, and even a touch of teriyaki sauce.

Palate: Vibrant and fruity, with flavours of lychee, pineapple, sweet white peachs plum and that distinct baijiu funk once again. Compared to the Yanghe Daqu, everything feels more mellow, rounded and integrated. It has a notable elegance, approachability, and softness, without the dryness that I found in the earlier expression.

Finish: A light touch of fading white peach and an interesting rustic earthiness that reminds me of the subtle brett notes found in some Right Bank Bordeaux red wines.

My Thoughts:

While still fruity and candied, the Dream Blue Crystal is much more rounded, subtle, and elegant than the standard Yanghe Daqu. It's also significantly more complex. The most obvious differences are the oxidative notes and the touch of earthiness, evident in the nuttiness and teriyaki on the nose and the rusticity on the finish.

This represents an interesting transition and contrast from the standard Yanghe and speaks to a beautifully executed aging process!

Dream Blue (梦之蓝) M6+ Baijiu, 40.8% ABV­ – Review

Tasting Notes

Nose: Really candied, really fruity. Opens with a bright, candied note reminiscent of bingtanghulu (candied hawthorn stick) and juicy white peaches. There's a distinct perfumed floral quality, accented by a touch of not unpleasant solvent or nail polish note, similar to what I found in the Yanghe Daqu.

Palate: Sweet, fruity, floral and surprisingly dry. It starts crisp, with fresh lychee soda, bingtanghulu and white Saturn peachs, along with light, indistinct floral flavours. However, it quickly transitions to a drying sensation with a lemony, zesty character, almost champagne-like in its dry zestiness.

Finish: Emphasises the drying notes, complemented by subtle flavours of plum, fading white peach and a hint of raspberry jam. There's also a nice touch of minerality.

My Thoughts:

Tasting the M6+ after the Dream Blue Crystal expression reveals to you an interesting evolution. It seems less overtly fruity and more floral and candied, with the dryness amplified. It's very crisp, with a noticeably lighter palate than the other expressions. This lightness allows the dryness and mineral notes from the spring water to shine through; it's almost like the pinot noir of Yanghe's baijiu range, with its emphasis on crispness and minerality.

It's worth noting that there are two versions of the Dream Blue M6+ and that I'm tasting the lower ABV version at 40.8%, which might explain the much lighter texture.

Dream Blue (梦之蓝) M9 Baijiu, 52% ABV – Review

Tasting Notes

Nose: Remarkably clean and mellow an aroma, almost shy I’d say. It offers soft, sweet notes of snow pear, muscat grape and white florals. Gone is the prominent funk of the previous expressions, replaced by a refined fruitiness and delicate floral character. My overall impression is much tighter and more restrained.

Palate: What a surprise on the palate! The texture is beautifully velvety and the flavours are incredibly dense and heady, with a lush explosion of fruit flavours. It's almost as if the nose was holding back the fruits, only to unleash them on the palate. Flavours of cantaloupe melon, juicy white peach, plums, ripe raspberry and pineapple unfold in layers with a crystalline purity.

Finish: Long and lovely, with notes of honey and lingering flavours of raspberry and peach.

My Thoughts:

This is an incredibly flavourful and refined baijiu, with an intoxicating velvety texture. It’s also a delightful surprise, it's like a boxer who holds back the punch on the nose but delivers a knockout blow on the palate with so much fruitiness and floral notes. It's also exceptionally clean and crystalline with no off notes whatsoever – just you and the fruit. Finish is long and luxurious, the velvety mouth-coating texture allowing the fruitiness to linger for a bit longer. Despite the higher ABV, it remains remarkably approachable, with no harshness whatsoever.

Final Thoughts on Yanghe baijiu and the Dream Blue series

Yanghe and particularly the Dream Blue or Mengzhilan range represents a really high-quality and appealing expression of Strong Aroma baijiu. In fact, of all the strong aroma baijius I've had the pleasure of tasting, this is arguably the most elegant and subtle. While other producers in this category often focus on delivering pure fruit-forward expressions with a punchy intensity, Yanghe manages to achieve presence and impact while maintaining a harmonious and nuanced profile. This makes it a baijiu that you can revisit time and time again without fatiguing your palate. The various elements – aromas, flavours, and mouthfeel – are seamlessly integrated, with no single aspect dominating the experience. It's also remarkably clean and well-blended, with no off-notes whatsoever. Truly mellow and refined.

In terms of specific bottles, two standouts for me are the Yanghe Daqu and the top-of-the-line Dream Blue M9 52% ABV. The Yanghe Daqu is incredibly flavourful and generous, offering a delightful array of upfront tropical fruit notes. This makes it a fantastic sipping baijiu, and I imagine it would also shine in cocktails thanks to its prominent fruitiness. The Dream Blue M9, on the other hand, has a captivating crystalline fruit purity and remarkable mellowness.

It's worth mentioning that I tasted the lower ABV variants of the Dream Blue Crystal and M6+. However, I generally find baijiu to be more enjoyable at higher ABVs at around 52%. The volatile compounds in baijiu are better anchored by the higher ethanol content. When diluted to lower ABVs, compounds like ethyl acetate (which can have a nail polish-like aroma) and higher alcohols (fusel oils) become a bit more pronounced on the nose. I suspect that the higher ABV versions of the Crystal and M6+ would offer an even more enjoyable experience.

@CharsiuCharlie