Category Archives: Cachaca

Tasting Report: Ministry of Rum Festival 2011

Posted on October 9, 2011 by Christopher Null| 7 Comments

Last year’s Ministry of Rum event was a tasty yet tiny look at the growing world of rum, and most of the same faces — with a few new ones — were back again in 2011. I focused on unfamiliar brands at this walk-around event… but made it a point to retry a few rums that I considered favorites — and which I didn’t like so much last time out. While most of my notes of the re-reviewed rums were consistent with 2010′s grades, a couple of marks were wildly different. Did recipes change… or was I not on my game last time out? Tasting events are always tricky, with opinions formed on the fly based on very limited (and spit-out) samples… so, as always, take all of these notes with a grain of salt. Or, as it were, sugar.

Ministry of Rum Festival – San Francisco Bay Area – 2011

Bacardi Solera 1893 Rum / B+ / much improved notes vs. last year, when I called this rum “rubbery”; still, not a lot to it; Mexico-produced

Diplomatico Blanco Rum / A- / a filtered Peurto Rican claro style; incredible smoothness and sweetness together; Venezuela

Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva Rum / A / remains a classic; made a fabulous Hotel Nacional Cocktail with Small Hand Pineapple Gomme

Smith & Cross Rum / B- / same rating as last year; huge body and tough as nails

The Scarlet Ibis Rum / B- / hard and rough; same notes as 2010

Brugal 1888 Gran Reserva / A- / just reviewed, tried another sip just for kicks

Zacapa Centenario 23 / A / remains a favorite, citrus and floral notes offering a lighter style rum despite its age; Guatemala

Zacapa XO Rum / A / incredible depth, another classic not to be missed; upgraded since last year’s A-

Crusoe Silver Rum / B+ / coconut finish; both this and the spiced rum are organic

Crusoe Spiced Rum / B+ / huge clove and allspice character

Flor de Caña 4 Year Old Gold / B / smoky and woody, typical of Flor de Cana

Flor de Caña Grand Reserve 7 Year Old / B+ / better balance, but still lots of wood

Flor de Caña Centenario 12 / B+ / improving but wood still holds tight

Flor de Caña Centenario 18 / A- / easily the top Flor, with the sweetness finally balancing out the wood notes

Coeur de Rhum La Favorite Rhum Agricole Blanc / C-

Coeur de Rhum La Favorite Rhum Agricole Ambrè / C / 18 months aged; still really rough (Martinique)

Coeur de Rhum La Favorite Rhum Agricole Vieux / C+ / significantly downgraded from last year; tougher than I’d remembered by a mile; 3 years old

Montanya Platino Rum / A / one of the most exceptional white rums (aged, then filtered) I’ve had lately — and it’s made in Colorado; a full review of Montanya’s rums is in the works

Montanya Oro Rum / A- / aged in Stranahan’s whiskey barrels, left ruddy orange; lots of nut, coffee, and almond character

Lemon Hart 151 Demerara Rum / A- / amazingly clean for 151; very dark, with coffee and cocoa notes

Novo Fogo Gold Cachaça / B+ / rare, an aged cachaca — this one smooths out that spirit’s typical fuel notes

Santa Teresa Claro / B+ / Aged 2 years, then filtered; big citrus notes; Venezuela

Santa Teresa Rhum Orange Liqueur / B+ / citrus + rum liqueur

Santa Teresa Gran Reserva / A- / aged two to five years; bracing sweetness, one of the sweetest of the day

Santa Teresa 1796 Antiguo de Solera / A- / I called this “perfect” last year; in 2011 I’m finding a bit whiskey-like, tons of wood drowning out the sugars

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Posted in Cachaca, Reviews, Rum, Spiced Rum

I Took the Cachaca Challenge

Posted on February 16, 2011 by Christopher Null| 3 Comments

There is nothing more fun – or terrifying – than doing a blind head-to-head tasting of wine or spirits. What if everything you thought you knew was wrong? What if it turns out you like Gallo from a jug better than Screaming Eagle? (Answer: Well, then, you’re lucky. You’ll save a lot of money down the road.)

Recently I was given two vials of cachaca labeled A and B, some sugar, and a lime. My goal: Try the cachaca straight, then try it in a caipirinha, and report back to the agency putting on the event which I preferred.

I tasted them backwards…

Cachaca B was a clear, traditional cachaca, full of petrol notes but balanced with a little sweetness and citrus. Not much to it, a lot like a simple rum. (spot rating: B+)

Cachaca A was tinted light yellow, clearly one which had seen some barrel time. Much fruitier than A, it had lots of lemon oil and orange notes. Racy with aromatics, it was spice, flowers, and caramel/vanilla character from the time in wood. But still it was a cachaca at heart, as the petrol overtones made clear. Long, long finish here. (spot rating: A-, on the fence)

But what happened in a caipirinha? I made two cocktails identically, right down to the number of ice cubes, muddling lime and sugar, and adding the spirit and rocks.

Cachaca B made a very good caiprinha, pleasant and very much like a margarita. Clean and unfussy, it was easy to sip.

Cachaca A was overpowering: It stood up to the lime and sugar and made itself known, giving an astringency to the drink that was matched only by the floral and aromatic notes that followed. More complicated and intriguing, at first I preferred this one… until, five minutes later, I just couldn’t get that floral taste out of my mouth. While Cachaca B’s caipirinha finished clean, Cachaca A was too much, with a strong, almost salty aftertaste. I was reminded of my recent pisco tasting, where the stronger, mosto verde pisco was too much for a pisco sour to handle, and the simpler, acholado-style spirit turned out to work better in a mixed drink.

Just goes to show: Just because you like something on its own, doesn’t mean you’ll feel the same way once you start adding stuff. (And vice versa!)

And now for the identities (revealed after I submitted my ratings)…. Cachaca B was Cabana (then: B+), and Cachaca A was Leblon (then: B+).

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Posted in Cachaca, Reviews, Rum

Review: Weber Haus Cachaca Silver

Posted on December 14, 2009 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

I don’t think it’s just me who pegs “Weber Haus” as a distinctly German name… and maybe an odd choice for a Brazilian cachaca… but no matter.

Weber Haus actually makes a wide variety of cachacas for the local and export markets, including aged and various, special bottlings. This silver cachaca, which has been sitting in my to-do list for far too long, is a solid one: Smooth and silky in mouthfeel, with a dusky, coal-flecked body.

It’s got a good slug of that traditional, gasoline/rubber character, but it’s still mellow, allowing just a touch of sweetness to come through in the end. Nice choice for a caipirinha.

80 proof.

B+ / $40 / weberhausbrazil.com

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Posted in Cachaca, Rated B+, Reviews, Rum

Review: Cuca Fresca Cachaca and Caipirinha

Posted on December 2, 2009 by Christopher Null| 3 Comments

It’s been a while — too long, perhaps — since we sampled a new cachaca at Drinkhacker HQ, but Cuca Fresca has arrived to our watering palates.

Cuca Fresca Cachaca - This unaged Brazilian rum is intensely fragrant, filling the room with sweet lime notes. The body is more typical of cachaca, with that smoky character that all young cachaca tends to have, but it’s balanced by a good amount of sweetness and citrus. The finish is light and even refreshing, something I rarely say about cachaca. A great choice for starting your caipirinhas. 80 proof. A- / $18

Cuca Fresca Classic Caiprinha – Don’t want the trouble of mixing lime and sugar with your cachaca to make a caiprinha? Pour this pre-mixed version directly on the rocks. This 44-proof concoction claims only natural ingredients — cachaca, lime, and sugar (which settles on the bottom of the bottle — shake well!) — so I had awfully high hopes. It certainly doesn’t taste bad, but it’s a little heavy on the sweet and doesn’t have enough lime for my tastes. It’ll work in a pinch, but it’s unfortunately not really a substitute for the real deal. (When is it ever?) Note that the cork-topped bottle tends to leak when shaken. Cuidado! B / $18 per 1-liter bottle

cucafrescaspirit.com

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Posted in Cachaca, Mixers, Rated A-, Rated B, Reviews, Rum

Recipe: Rio’s Celebratory Caipirinha

Posted on October 7, 2009 by Christopher Null| 2 Comments

By now everyone knows that Rio de Janeiro will host the 2016 Olympics (sorry, Chi-town), and should you find yourself wishing to toast the city’s victory (any excuse for a cocktail…), you’ll likely pour yourself a caipirinha, the semi-official cocktail of all of Brazil.

If that’s too staid, Leblon offers this spin on the drink. Try it while thinking of the pole vault and the hammer throw.

The Lemon Lime and Blue Caipirinha

2 oz. Leblon Cachaca
3 Lime Wheels
3 Lemon Wheels
6 Blueberries
2 Teaspoons of Superfine Sugar (or 1 oz. Simple Syrup)

Cut lime into (3) 1/8″ wheels and cut lemon into (3) 1/8″ wheels and place into shaker. Add 2 teaspoons of superfine sugar, or 1 ounce of simple syrup. Gently muddle fruit in shaker for 10-15 seconds, extracting juice from lemon and lime wheels. Add Leblon Cachaca. Fill rocks glass to the top with crushed ice. Add 6 blueberries. Shake or stir, mixing blueberries, ice and lemon-lime fruit thoroughly. Garnish with Lemon, Lime, and Blueberry combination.

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Posted in Cachaca, Recipes, Rum

Review: Seagram’s Brazilian Rums

Posted on May 12, 2009 by Christopher Null| 9 Comments

It looks like cachaca is continuing its rise, and now even mass market spiriters Seagram’s is getting into the mix.

Seagram’s (yeah, the gin guys!) new line of Brazilian rum doesn’t say cachaca on the label (and doesn’t offer a whole lot of information about what they’re created from or where, aside from “Brazil”), and that’s probably on purpose: At an ultra-affordable $12 a bottle, this is not intended to challenge the consumer with new and confusing terms but entice him into a new category of spirit while keeping a toe-hold on the familiar. “Brazilian” in the name gets that done.

Here’s how the rum — and its two flavored versions — stack up.

Seagram’s Smooth Brazilian Rum – Yeah, that’s the official name (snicker all you like), and compared to many cachacas it is on the mild, easygoing, even smooth side. The trademarks of cachaca — rubber, subdued sweetness — are here, but it’s all very mild. This is actually drinkable on its own — when’s the last time you said that about a $12 rum? — but of course it shines with simple mixers or in a caipirinha. Bonus points for such affordability. 80 proof. A- / $12

Seagram’s Citrus Brazilian Rum – Very sweet, with a kind of vague lemon/lime kick. Mostly natural-tasting (and specified as “with natural flavors” on the bottle), but it’s a little overpowering, to be honest, but with the right mixer — try club soda — it can work. Go easy on added sweetener. 70 proof. B+ / $12

Seagram’s Raspberry Brazilian Rum – You can’t get away from raspberry these days, and here (also a “natural” per the label it’s just too much for me. Even with a mixer, the raspberry flavor is on the cloying side, though it doesn’t taste artificial, just too, too sweet. 70 proof. B / $12

seagramsginlive.com

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Posted in Cachaca, Flavored Rum, Rated A-, Rated B, Rated B+, Reviews, Rum

Review: Boca Loca Cachaca

Posted on December 16, 2008 by Christopher Null| 1 Comment

Boca Loca is another good cachaca to recently hit the market — and with its lipstick-scrawled-on-glass packaging it immediately presents itself as an uncomplicated product designed for the masses.

I expect any drinker would have an easy time approaching this cachaca, which tastes and smells not of the spirit’s typical gasoline but rather of charred wood and a touch of caramel. The sugary sweetness is strong in this one, ending on a somewhat bitter note that makes this one of the more curious cachacas to come along in recent months.

At 80 proof it makes a fine caipirinha, though lime and sugar sap it of its unique characteristics, leaving behind just a hint of that caramel character and a lot of sweet sugar. Try it in less fruit-forward concoctions and see what you think.

B / $20 / drinkbocaloca.com

boca loca cachaca Review: Boca Loca Cachaca

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Posted in Cachaca, Rated B, Reviews, Rum

Review: Sagatiba Pura Cachaça

Posted on September 3, 2008 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

“Fusing more than 500 years of tradition with advanced technology” brings us Sagatiba Pura cachaça, another big entrant into the rapidly proliferating cachaça craze.

Sagatiba is a largely representative example of the spirit, 80 proof, fairly clean and noticeably sweet when sipped straight. There is citrus — lemon/lime and a bit of orange — on the tongue in a shot, but things are far improved with sugar and lime, the way cachaça is meant to be consumed.

Strange, though, that both on its own and in a caipirinha, I got a moderately strong sour character from Sagatiba, something I don’t think I’ve seen in other cachaças. Yes, I’m immensely grateful not to get that gasoline/petrol flavor from Sagatiba — you’ll find that a common problem of the cheaper cachaças, but the sourness kept this spirit at a distance, as it just didn’t meld together as well as it should have in mixed drinks.

That’s not to say that some drinks couldn’t actually benefit from a little sour character, but in the standbies for cachaçait was a bit strong.

B+ / $25 / sagatiba.com

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Posted in Cachaca, Rated B+, Reviews, Rum

Recipe: Leblon-Lychee Popsicle

Posted on August 28, 2008 by Christopher Null| 1 Comment

I haven’t tried this yet, but it does sound awfully good. Recipe courtesy Leblon.

Leblon-Lychee Popsicle
1 1/2 oz. Leblon Cachaça
4 oz. Coconut water with the pieces of young coconut meat
1 oz. simple syrup
3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
1 oz. Boiron Lychee Puree

Add all ingredients into a shaker tin. Pour contents of shaker into your favorite popsicle mold (you can also add pomegranate seeds for a colorful effect). Put in the freezer for three to four hours.

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Posted in Cachaca, Recipes, Rum

Review: Leblon Cachaça

Posted on August 12, 2008 by Christopher Null| 2 Comments

Leblon was the first cachaça I ever tried and it remains a perfectly acceptable introduction to the beauty of the spirit. The company was kind enough to send a fresh bottle, and it remains as charming a cachaça as ever.

You won’t miss that gigantic green bottle on the shelf (it barely fits in my liquor cabinet), and opening it up reveals fresh aromas of sugar and lime. There’s the slightest tinge of cachaça’s trademark rubber flavor in the mid-palate, but it’s surprisingly not offensive. If you’re looking for textbook cachaça, Leblon is as close as I’ve come to finding something that exhibits the highlights and the curiosities about this intriguing sugar cane spirit.

Leblon is, of course, best in a caipirinha (and its variations) but is palatable straight: You’re a fool not to mix it with sugar (one recipe on the Leblon website calls for a whopping six sugar cubes (Crescent City Green Dawn)), but here at Drinkhacker, you’ll find that we rarely judge you for your drink.

B+ / $27 / liveloveleblon.com