‘Hand crafted in small batches‘ it says on the bottle.
Clear colourless unaged cachaca from Brazil.
Quite a pronounced sugarcane grassiness on the nose.
Easy & oily mouthfeel.
Slowly warms the palate with a certain juiciness coming through.
Hints of peppery spice on the finish with a tasty tingling sensation rounding off this attractive spirit.
Available in Ireland from the Intrepid Spirits range.
Saúde
Trying to find Cachaça in Ireland is pretty difficult.
The category is very thin on the ground – so I purchased one of the biggest sellers – Cachaça 51.
It’s a clear colourless spirit that should display the raw ingredients used in distillation – sugarcane juice – as it’s unaged.
Bit of grassiness, bit of youthfulness, some of that sweet & sour new make kind of thing going on.
Easy on the palate. Very mild mannered.
Rather short on the finish – but a touch of welcome warming reminds you this is strong spirit.
What flavours there are seem to be strongest on the nose.
A gentle inoffensive spirit rather devoid of any strong flavours – that would put some people off – making it an ideal base for cocktails.
Especially the Caipirinha – whose recipe features on the back label.
Just enough character to keep it entertaining.
Sláinte
Cachaça.
Until recently I wouldn’t have known much about this distilled spirit.
Geographically Protected (GI) to Brazil, made using sugarcane juice and according to some sources – the 3rd biggest selling spirits category in the world.
Being National Cachaça Day on the 13th September – I was keen to explore.
Nêga Fulô Carvalho is made by Fazenda Soledade Ind De Bedibas near Rio.
Pale straw in colour – suggesting some ageing in wooden casks.
Those distinctive fresh grassy notes of sugarcane juice distillation are evident on the nose.
A smooth, sweet & gentle palate displaying freshness & vitality slowly develops a warming heat.
Touches of soft prickly spiciness enliven the finish which slowly fades away with tropical juiciness.
A very pleasant & easy introduction into the world of Cachaça – the spirit of Brazil.
Sláinte
Aldi are upping their spirits game.
Established brands are now hitting the shelves in addition to Aldi’s own offerings.
Benchmark No 8 – a decent high rye bourbon from the Buffalo Trace stable in Kentucky – represents the whiskey category.
Bacoo 4yo does the honours for rum.
Presented in an attractively embossed bottle – common throughout the range – Bacoo offers ‘Made with Fresh Cane Juice’ & ‘Aged in Ex-Bourbon Barrels’ as temptation.
Fresh & fruity notes greeted me, touches of sugarcane grassiness, slight funk & dollops of demerara too.
Vanillas & caramel dominated the palate over that sweet sugarcane base.
A flourish of welcoming spice wrapped up this smooth – if rather sugar heavy offering.
A fun, easy going rum vying for sweet dessert status.
Sláinte
Miniatures.
Love ’em.
The opportunity to taste and sample a variety of styles & flavours before committing to a large bottle.
Lidl are currently showcasing The World Of Rums – including offerings from;
Panama – La Réunion – Cuba and Jamaica.
Rums are often categorised into styles based on their former colonial occupiers. It’s not particularly scientific or pretty – but neither is the use of Scottish Regions to define the flavour of whisky.
Being Lidl – it’s likely to be sourced private label brands too. As confirmed by ‘Imported & bottled by: ‘Pabst & Richarz Vertiebs GmbH‘ on the outer packaging.
But what interested me were the differences of flavours showcased by the individual rums themselves.
Panama. Sir Francis Drake. 6 Years Old. 40%
Spanish style. Light, buttery & sweet.
Pale straw. Vanilla sweetness followed by darker molasses & treacle notes. Soft & sweet palate – a bit too sweet for my liking – but develops a pleasant oaky spice from the cask ageing.
Easy & enjoyable.
La Réunion. Coeur Du Soleil. White Rum. 37.5%
French style. Rich , fruity & complex.
Clear spirit. Pungent vegetal nose – reminds me of Mezcal. Palate was smooth & characterful. The earthy herbaceous notes give a slightly savoury yet sweet appeal that slowly fades.
Very alluring.
Cuba. Ron Santero. 3 Year Old. 38%
Spanish style. Lean & clean.
Clear spirit. Soft subtle & sweet. After the other 2 rums, Santero’s delicateness just merged into a bland neutrality for me. Cries out for mixing.
Characterless.
Jamaica. Caribica. Brown Rum. 40%
British style. Funky, heavy & bold.
Light brown. Noticeable funkiness on the nose – reminds me of burnt rubber. Syrupy palate. The funk is lost a little to a treacly dark sweetness, but re-emerges on the finish.
Is Jamaican funk the Islay peat of the rum world? Finding it challenging.
Thoughts
An interesting & entertaining taste experience.
I’d have thought there’d be a rum here to please every palate.
La Réunion’s Coeur Du Soleil was the one for me. The powerful mix of sweet, sour & savoury notes demonstrated the full bodied style of ‘Rhum Agricole’ using freshly pressed sugarcane juice bottled straight off the stills.
C’est très bonne.
What is your style?
Santé
A brief guide to styles of rum can be found at the handy Tenzing blog here.
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