Issues with lorries and heavy goods vehicles on the motorway are no fun at all, often leading to lengthy traffic jams and delays. Spare a thought for the driver that spilt hundreds of boxes of Moutai from his delivery in Shanghai. Not only is this city famously busy, but his cargo was truly precious.

It appears that the driver was attempting a U-turn in the Changning District, one of the most populous parts of Shanghai. In doing so, the side of the truck opened. Over a thousand crates of Moutai proceeded to tumble into the road.

So far, so unfortunate. Accidents happen. Sadly, the driver’s production line is unlikely to be quite so understanding. When we consider that the average bottle of Moutai retails for around £100, that potentially is six figures of lost revenue spilt on the streets of Shanghai. Throw in the prestige of this spirit and you have a recipe for a storm.

The exact monetary loss has yet to be confirmed. Either way, it makes little difference to the driver. He was at pains to explain that he could not afford a single bottle of Moutai, let alone in excess of a thousand.

It remains to be seen what fallout occurs from this incident, but we hope the driver escapes admonishment. It has been suggested that the truck exceeded its maximum weight by some three tons, suggesting that somebody, somewhere, was cutting corners. All we can say is that we do not envy that individual when the inquisition is complete.

Kweichow Moutai – VS – V.I.P Jiu 8

A bottle of V.I.P Jiu 8 together with a bottle of Moutai Flying Fairy was sent to a UK laboratory for analysis. The laboratory was a registered member of UKAS – The United Kingdom Accreditation Service that is recognised by the UK government when comparing products to internationally agreed standards.

The laboratory concluded that the two bottles were very different, with sample A (VIP Jiu 8) being considerably more complex than sample B (Kweichow Moutai Flying Fairy). The laboratory also concluded that sample A (VIP Jiu 8) contains many more compounds with positive attributes than sample B (Kweichow Moutai Flying Fairy). Further reading: VIP Jiu 8 Vs Moutai