What the hell is Er Guo Tou Chiew made out of?

[Bosh]

Lately I've been enjoying this strange Chinese liquor with a very nice intersection of strength (112 proof) and price (little bottle of it goes for just over 60 cents in Korea) but I can't for the life of me figure out what the hell it is. Tastes vaguely like the mutant half-breed step-child of uzo....

Fermented mystery mash with anise? Anyone in China know what this stuff is?

[Urban Ranger]

If you could attach an image of the label or something it will really help

[Japher]

It's Made of People!!!!!!!!

[Japher]

"The chiew is made of sorghum liquor with distilled fresh rose flower by traditional method. It has a permanent fragrant flavour and a slightly sweet taste. Suitable for all seasons and great as added flavor for high class salted meats and other culinary dishes."

http://www.goldeneagletrading.com/china/chinaliquors.htm

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Japher
It's Made of People!!!!!!!!

They make cosmetics out of prisoners, why not booze?

[Bosh]

My digital camera isn't working at the moment, I got this picture off of google, it's a different brand but I think it's the same category of stuff...

[Japher]

I don't think I have ever had anything made of sorghum... I had to look it up to even find out what it is.

[Bosh]

Hmmmmm, so chiew means it's made out of sorghum apparently. Some kind of anise-flavored sorghum liquor?

[Urban Ranger]

Oh, that.

It's a white "chiew" (Chinese, referring to a drink with alcohol content). That means it is made from grain, probably rice.

二鍋頭係指白酒蒸餾時，其餾分以往係採天鍋做冷凝器，當更換第二鍋冷凝水後開始流出之白酒稱之，這一區間的 酒質風味特殊，酒質清香醇厚，綿甜爽淨，自然協調，飲後餘香。

Rough translation: Er Guo Tau is obtained when the cooling water used after distillation needs to be replaced once. Er is two, second. Guo is a pot or some kind of container.

[Japher]

I'm willing to bet it is made in a fashion much like this:

http://www.whisky-heritage.co.uk/information/whiskyterms.html

What is the pot still distillation?

Malt Whisky is distilled twice - although a few distilleries may undertake a third distillation - in Pot Stills which resemble huge copper kettles.

The spirit is driven off from the fermented liquid as a vapour and then condensed back to a liquid.

In the first distillation the fermented liquid, or wash, is put into the Wash Still, which is heated either directly by fire or by steam-heated coils.

At this stage the wash contains yeast, crude alcohol, some unfermentable matter and the by-products of fermentation. During the process of boiling the wash, changes take place in its constituents which are vital to the flavour and character of the whisky.

As the wash boils, vapours pass up the neck of the still and then pass through a water-cooled condenser or a worm, a coiled copper pipe of decreasing diameter enclosed in a water jacket through which cold water circulates.

This condenses the vapours and the resulting distillate, known as low wines, is collected for re-distilling. The liquor remaining in the Wash Still is known as pot ale or burnt ale and is usually treated and converted into distillers’ solubles for animal feed.

The low wines are distilled again in the Spirit Still, similar in appearance and construction to the Wash Still but smaller because the bulk of liquid to be dealt with is less. Three fractions are obtained from the distillation in the Spirit Still. The first is termed foreshots, the second constitutes the potable spirit, and the third is called feints. The foreshots and feints are returned to the process and redistilled in the Spirit Still with the succeeding charge of low wines. The residue in the still, called spent lees, is run to waste.

In the case of the Spirit Still, the design of the still, the height of the head (or top) of the still and the angle of the wide-diameter pipe or lyne arm, connecting the head to the condensing unit, are all very important and have an effect on the distillate.

The Pot Still has changed little in general design over the centuries.

[Urban Ranger]

Thanks for the info Japher

Neat

[Ecthy]

Chiew? Make that jiu!

[Mao]

On another happy note, if you like that, you should try these amazing liquors (shao jiu - literally, "burning liquor"...hehe):

Wu Liang Ye

Mou Tai, this one is something like China's "national pride" more or less, at least we northerners think so. I love the stuff, but it's somewhat of an "acquired" taste I guess...

I like some brands of Er Guo Tou too...but I forgot which ones, some of them smell like rubbing alcohol...pleh...

Yeah Ethcy, it'd be nice if everyone changed to Pinyin, but the brand names don't change...just look at PKU, Tsinghua U., Moutai "Chiew," Tsingtao beer, etc. Hell, even Hangzhou has names their own beer Sihoo rather than Xi Hu...

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Mao
Mou Tai, this one is something like China's "national pride" more or less, at least we northerners think so. I love the stuff, but it's somewhat of an "acquired" taste I guess...

Amazingly, they could only brew Mou Tai at that one place. They tried making the liquor at other places but the stuff they got tasted different.

[DaShi]

Bai Jiu! Bleh! How many times have I drank this to impress older Chinese people?