Notes: This is not the usual type cachaca that you find imported to the United States in several respects. First it is a handcrafted cachaca produced in copper alembic type copper stills (most are made in industrial quantities in column stills), rested in oak barrels (most are bottled fairly quickly) and almost none are certified organic.

Now Cachaca has been discovered (finally) in America and is used extensively in the Caipirinha as it is similar to the Mojito (a drink heavily marketed by the Microsoft of Rum- Bacardi) both of which are simple and relatively fast to make.

There are basically (at least for the sake of discussion) two types of Cachaca based on the method and/or type of production:

One is the more commercial type using standard yeasts and produced by column still distillation and usually not aged.

The second is the artisanal variety pot distilled and aged in wood. Also the column still varieties are more often tweaked with multiple distillation, filtrations and assorted additives to achieve a character. Pot still varieties get theirs from terroir, aging and of course the use of a potstill (which almost always yields a more flavorful complex spirit – but is much harder and expensive to use). This example goes further through the use of natural organic grains for fermentation – not chemicals, careful distillation, and what seems to be an obsessive passion to make the best product they can.

Appearance: Nice straw color. On swirling, long legs slowly develop on the nosing glass then tiny droplets forming.

First Impression: Like a good aged Rhum Agricole (such as the Clement or La Favorite Rums) these pot distilled varieties jump out at you with a rush of character and complexity. Nice bouquet ,with a savory citrus smell to it with trace of cane,grass and pleasant wood notes, lemon grass, tea and cinnamon/nutmeg fragrances are also in evidence. More like great a Pisco than the more ethanol or methanol notes the cheaper stuff smell like. Any better and I might have to (intentionally) wear it as a cologne – it smells wonderful!

Taste: Very smooth and complex on the tongue, with the sweetness and vanilla that distinguish it from its younger sibling, the Silver Novo Fogo. It still has many of the other notes oak, pepper, savory mineral notes intermixed with citrus, lemon grass, traces of bergamot and salty overtones with tea notes and astringency playing off against the sweetness but more muted in some ways.

Drinks: The drinks we tried were excellent. The website has a lovely selection of cocktails to try and also use as inspiration for your own efforts. This is a wonderfully complex cachaca that mixes with just about anything. Also worked for a couple of our creations such as the very interesting Pisco Sour variation (substitute cachaca for pisco for some “Brazilian Lemonade” as we call it) and our Sarachai – a mix of mint and (weak) regular tea with cachaca added (sugar optional) and it came out much better than our earlier efforts with some other cachaca’s. As a side note “ALWAYS remember to cut your limes and other ingredients BEFORE you drink any alcohol.”

Cigars: Good with a lighter type/size of cigar with a medium bodied wrapper. Maybe a Rocky Patel or a Fuente Short Story.

Bottle/Packaging: A rather simple but distinctive bottle of clear hand blown recycled glass from the streets of Curitba. The flask shaped with a slight waist to it with a sloped shoulder to a jute fabric wrapped neck ( great for gripping the bottle with wet hands) and wooden topped cork closure under shrink wrap. Attractive graphics using a sugar flower logo on a clear silk screened plastic label in front and a white plastic label on back. Small paper label on front has hand numbered day/date/year batch number. Very attractive package altogether gives the bottle a fair amount of shelf appeal wherever you see it.

Other: Seriously crunchy organic, zero waste, everything recycled- doesn’t get much more guilt free or green than this.

Final Thoughts:While we tend to enjoy most spirits more as they age, cachaca and tequila seem to be (IMHO) better without aging in wood. While we love the bouquet I think it is slightly less intriguing than its younger sibling.

Website: http://www.novofogo.com

Quick-loading, good amount of information and great recipe section.