Cai Xuefei: Above famous wines, estates lead the way; Langjiu reshapes the "upward" narrative of premium sauce-flavored liquor

Ask AI · How does the Manor Strategy reshape the high-end soy sauce liquor consumption experience?

History favors Moutai, but nature favors Langjiu more. — Preface

Written by | Zhichu Marketing Cai Xuefei

Edited by | Zhichu Marketing Ye Yangzi

Currently, China’s soy sauce liquor industry is shifting from scale expansion to a new stage centered on quality, branding, and consumer experience. The value of famous wines is accelerating its return, with brands that possess historical heritage, quality strength, and strategic resolve becoming the core forces in the market.

Against this backdrop, on March 28, the first nationwide “Historical Classics · Chinese Famous Liquor Manor Brewing High-Quality Soy Sauce Liquor Development Seminar” was grandly held in Neijiang, Sichuan, hosted by the China Food Industry Association. This high-profile seminar not only looked back on Langjiu’s forty-plus years of glory but also served as an authoritative review and tone-setting for China’s high-end soy sauce liquor landscape. Qinghua Lang and Hongyun Lang are redefining the “upward” narrative of high-end soy sauce liquor with their incomparable quality strength and brand value.

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Foundation of Famous Liquor: National Certification Establishes the “Double Heroes” of Soy Sauce Aroma

In China’s authoritative evaluation system for Baijiu, the National Liquor Appraisal Conference remains the only set of evaluations entirely based on the quality of the liquor itself, completely detached from brand and market influences, and is the highest standard of industry quality benchmarks. The results represent industry quality standards. Among them, the 4th (1984) and 5th (1989) National Liquor Appraisal Conferences not only represented the highest level of Chinese Baijiu tasting at the time but also established the historical status of Langjiu alongside Moutai in the high-end soy sauce liquor track.

At the 1984 Fourth National Liquor Appraisal, Langjiu’s 53-degree product first won the title of “Chinese Famous Liquor,” standing shoulder to shoulder with Moutai on the highest podium, becoming the two major soy sauce liquor brands on the Chishui River, thus officially establishing the “Double Heroes” pattern of soy sauce aroma.

More importantly, at the 1989 Fifth National Liquor Appraisal, the last official national Baijiu tasting event in China, Langjiu was awarded “Chinese Famous Liquor” for both its 53-degree high-proof and 39-degree low-proof liquors, marking the first time low-proof soy sauce liquor was recognized as “Chinese Famous Liquor.” It can be said that Langjiu not only created the industry honor of “one brand, two famous liquors” but also cemented its irreplaceable position in the soy sauce liquor landscape.

It is worth noting that in 1999, the 39-degree Langjiu was designated as the national standard sample for low-proof soy sauce aroma Baijiu, becoming a benchmark product in the low-proof soy sauce aroma field. The industry’s reputation of “Moutai aroma, Lang taste, high Moutai, low Lang” is a high recognition of Langjiu’s low-proof soy sauce aroma craftsmanship.

At this seminar, many judges and experts from the 4th and 5th National Liquor Appraisal assembled as the “National Appraisal Team,” once again confirming the value of this “Chinese Famous Liquor” honor. Among them, the invited national judge Ding Qiansheng summarized the spirit of the evaluation that year into three “absolutes”: absolutely no favoritism, absolutely no special treatment, and absolutely no ambiguity. The entire process was blind scoring, cross-provincial verification of samples, and a three-round elimination system. The final list is the highest benchmark of Chinese Baijiu quality.

Deep roots grow lush, and the source flows long. Today, as the value of famous liquors accelerates its return, this authoritative certification jointly awarded by the state and industry is the foundation of consumer trust, the confidence for brands to pass through industry cycles, and an irreplaceable core barrier for Langjiu compared to other soy sauce aroma brands. The rigorous screening of the National Liquor Appraisal is like a big wave washing away the sand, leaving only pure gold. With its strength of twice being crowned a famous liquor, Langjiu is the only soy sauce aroma brand qualified to stand shoulder to shoulder with Moutai. This industry summit further provides an authoritative endorsement of Langjiu’s identity as a famous liquor and its position as the leader of high-end soy sauce liquor.

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Quality Code: The Expression of Lang Taste Under Extreme Craftsmanship and Unique Terroir

If the certification of famous liquor is the identity bestowed by history on Langjiu, then extreme craftsmanship and unique terroir are the enduring quality foundations supporting this honor, and the core confidence that allows Langjiu to stand shoulder to shoulder with Moutai.

Moutai and Langjiu share the unique ecological resources of the Chishui River, both adhering to the strict “12987” craftsmanship, yet within the same brewing principles, they have cultivated the distinct “Moutai aroma and Lang taste.”

In fact, Langjiu insists on pursuing ultimate quality, building a systematic quality assurance system.

First, relying on the unique cliff valley terrain and micro-ecology, it explores the “growth, nurturing, storage” brewing and aging principles: growing in the Chishui River, maturing at Tianbao Peak, aging in pottery jars, and storing in Tianbao Cave, allowing the liquor to naturally elevate its quality;

Second, in terms of innovation, based on traditional “12987” brewing techniques, Langjiu summarized the “Four Highs and Two Longs” theory and pioneered the “13569” blending technique, creating a closed loop from brewing to blending;

Third, it issued the “Langjiu Soy Sauce Aroma Product Internal Control Guidelines,” which from six dimensions—production area location, workshop standards, raw material standards, brewing techniques, product standards, and production-sales principles—set 115 standards, establishing a standards system rooted on the left bank of the Chishui River. It also established a Quality Research Institute, utilizing digital systems to monitor fermentation data in real time, promoting scientific quality control.

Under this systematic quality assurance system, Qinghua Lang’s main base liquor is stored for more than 7 years, with no less than 80% of the total, supplemented by cave-aged over 20 years and various flavored liquors, ultimately forging a “cave-aged aroma, full of Lang taste” unique style; Hongyun Lang’s main base liquor is stored for over 12 years, supplemented by cave-aged over 30 years and different flavored liquors, forming an “rich, delicate, with prominent aged aroma” ultimate style. Langjiu adheres to the long-term philosophy of “storing ten, selling one” and “brewing good liquor, storing new liquor, selling old liquor.” To date, its storage of 300k