Review: Cachaca 51

Review: Cachaca 51

Cachaca-51Cachaca 51 is the best-selling brand of cachaca in Brazil, the home of this unique sugarcane-based spirit. That may not sound like a big deal, but according to the producer, they sell 240 million liters of the stuff annually, which makes it the second-biggest-selling spirits brand in the world. (Independent research does not seem to bear this out, but that’s largely irrelevant to our cause here — which is how it actually tastes.)

Cachaca 51 has the traditional fuel-like pungency of cachaca up front, but it’s folded in with some interesting notes of lime zest and lemongrass, tempering the petrol overtones considerably. The body is a bit sweeter than most cachacas, offering notes of light brown sugar, spearmint, and more citrus fruits — lime, especially — on the back end.

The palate is on the thin side and the finish is a bit saccharine, but mixed into a caipirinha or, well, anything else, that might actually work to its advantage.

80 proof.

B+ / $17 (1 liter) / geminispiritswine.com [BUY IT NOW FROM TOTAL WINE]

Cachaca 51

$17
8.5

Rating

8.5/10

Christopher Null is the founder and editor in chief of Drinkhacker. A veteran writer and journalist, he also operates Null Media, a bespoke content creation company.

6 Comments

  1. Paul Piper on August 3, 2019 at 11:46 am

    How long does Cachaça last?

    Thanks
    Paul Piper

  2. Cherie on May 30, 2022 at 8:50 am

    Is it considered an after dinner drink? Does it have more sugar in it than rum?

    • Christopher Null on May 30, 2022 at 12:40 pm

      no, cachaca is quite dry — best as a mixer



  3. Manu on January 10, 2023 at 5:31 pm

    Unfortunately I tried it after nuovo fogo and I bough 51 when I fish I finished a couple of novo fogo then it taste terrible

  4. panda on April 28, 2023 at 9:51 am

    i do not recommend this spirit. reminds me a bit of my mom’s least fave tequila, a little bit of highschool sour batches and left alone bottles. definitely hits the spot but i”d rank it c-.

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