The belief of making liquor is
embodied in the sweetness of every taste.
"Why choose the harder path? Frankly, because we weren't set out to be businessmen in the first place." "Embracing the Road Less Traveled" captures ABAS's ethos: choosing passion over profit. We emphasise our original intent wasn't business but a love for crafting fine spirits to share. Our thirty-year journey, marked by deliberate choices and a dedication to the art of liquor-making, reflects a challenging yet fulfilling path.
Abundance
At ABAS, we choose pure grain solid-state fermentation to overturn the preconceived notion that strong spirits are merely harsh.
Unlike the majority of sorghum spirits produced through "liquid fermentation," "pure grain solid-state fermentation" requires nearly twenty times more time, is costlier, and involves more complex processes, making it quite rare in Taiwan. However, during the extended fermentation period, each grain independently interacts with the microbes, creating a taste experience as splendid as a vast galaxy. In addition to ethanol, the spirits from solid-state fermentation also contain a rich amount of hexanoic ethyl ester, which makes the high-proof spirits less harsh than expected, offering a richly layered flavor and a warm, aromatic aftertaste.
Patience is key in the art of liquor-making, where the process involves daily tasting over time, trusting that time will bring delightful surprises.
ABAS's spirits have variations aged for different years, some six, some eight. The decision on when to bottle is based on the craftmen and team's daily tastings—not rushing for sales but waiting for the optimal flavor profile. The traditional liquor-making method demands patience and trust in the quality of ingredients and techniques, ensuring the spirits are bottled at their peak.
Patience
Trust
Savoring a heritage through the traditional sauce-aroma method, bestowed by a seasoned master distiller.
Beyond the commonplace "Light Aroma" sorghum Baijiu, lies the rare essence of "Sauce Aroma" Baijiu, offering a delicate, velvety taste, and a lingering, distinctive sauce fragrance. Yet, this method is unique, initially passed down generously by the master, who recognizes the importance of nurturing young distillers and ensuring the legacy endures. This dedication has birthed ABAS's esteemed aged spirit series, crafted in a tradition increasingly scarce yet undeniably precious Aged Liquor Series.
Continuous Learning, Evolving with Time, Striving for Accreditation and Awards
In pursuit of stable progress in brewing techniques, and driven by self-demands for food safety and quality control, founder Hong Lishuang has been attending classes and reading relevant materials tirelessly for over twenty years. She even pursued further education at the Pingtung University of Science and Technology while her second generation was still in kindergarten. She encourages the team to continuously improve their knowledge. To date, ABAS has received two and three-star honors from the International Taste and Quality Institute (ITQI), known as the "Michelin Guide of the food industry," for three of its liquors, and maintains strict standards for crop inspection and certification.
Knowledge
Understanding
Understanding is crucial for refining the palate and discovering the best ways to appreciate fine spirits.
While Taiwan has a well-established knowledge system for coffee, from roasting to cupping, the tasting system for Chinese spirits is relatively less matured. ABAS not only crafts excellent liquors but also designs liquor-making process explanations and tasting experiences. Starting from observing the flow traces of the liquor on the glass walls, from scent to palate, one can experience the delicate sourness, nutty aroma, grainy fragrance, sauce scent, koji aroma, etc. The taste journey from beginning to end, including the lingering finish in the mouth. ABAS also recommends different liquor pairings with suitable food types, aiming to construct a more refined Taiwan-centric culture of 'understanding' in wine appreciation.
