Generally,
when I think of Brazil, I think of statuesque Brazilian beauties
in bikinis on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro beneath that really
tall statue of Jesus atop a mountain sadly looking down at
all those half naked people partying. Well, that's certainly
not what the people of Brazil think about because they are
very, very busy downing over 240 million liters of Cachaça
every year, making it the second largest selling spirit in
the world. I'll just bet you don't know what the number one
world's best selling spirit is! It's a South Korean rice and
barley spirit called Jinro soju. Now, that we've hop scotched
around the spirit world, let's get back to that Leblon Cachaca.
Although
both rum and Cachaça are made from sugarcane-derived
products, specifically in Cachaça, the alcohol results
from the fermentation of fresh sugarcane juice that is afterwards
distilled, while rum is usually made from by-products from
refineries, such as molasses. By the by, the distillation
of Cachaca pre-dates rum by 100 years. And just what is it
that all those Brazilians are doing with their Cachaça?
Well, they're either drinking it straight or mixing it into
a Caipirinha, which is very simple to make by just using a
bit of lime and sugar and ice and, of course, the Cachaça.
OK so break out the limes, and let's give this a go.
Leblon is produced at its own vertically integrated distillery,called
Maison Leblon, and the cane is hand-harvested from Leblon's
nearby fields and quickly delivered for pressing. The juice
is fermented for 20 to 24 hours before being transferred into
the Alambic copper pot stills for single-batch distillation.
The distillate is then rested up to six months in Vintage
XO Cognac Casks from France. The various batches are then
master blended, and the final batch is filtered and bottled
in glass. Since Leblon Cachaça is distilled in Alambic
copper pot stills, in smaller batches, and not in faster column
stills, it is classified as an artisanal cachaça.
Leblon
Cachaca comes in a tall clear bottle with the logo's
lettering boldly standing out in bas relief. The nose is very
reminiscent of roasted agave, as it is very vegetative in
nature and sweet smelling. On the palate, the sweetness shines
through, followed by a musty, oaky, grape like, roasted squash
flavor, followed by a hint of citrus. This is truly unlike
any other spirit I have tasted but comes close to being a
cross between rum and tequila but far more earthy. The finish
is a vegetative agave like sweetness that is actually quite
smooth and lasts a medium amount of time. Adding a little
simple syrup and lime and ice transforms this drink into the
popular Caipirinha, and I can understand why it is the favorite
drink of millions of South Americans; it's totally yummy,
sweet, citrusy and can be consumed endlessly, but I might
warn against that last recommendation.
Maison
Leblon Reserva Ospecial combines the flavor of the
best tasting cane with the aroma and quality of French oak.
This special distillate is aged up to two years in the highest
grade new Limousin French oak barrels, then blended. The color
is that of a light golden honey, and it comes in a tall skinny
bottle with cursive writing traveling vertically up the front.
The nose of this aged spirit is also reminiscent of an aged
tequila in that it is vegetative and oaky, but more refined
than the less aged Cachaca, and has hints of vanilla and honey
as well. The palate is oaky, smoky, and complex, layered with
vanilla and honey and funky fruit but is smooth with little
or no alcoholic bite. The finish is smooth and leaves an oak,
and almost cognac like, after taste. This could be a sipper,
as is and also adds nuanced flavor to a Caipirinha. It is
definitely worth the extra money.
After
tasting both of these spirits, I feel like I have just sucked
on twelve sugar cubes. That sweetness kind of sneaks up on
you, but hey, you've just been drinking distilled sugar cane
after all.
Leblon
Cachaca is 40% ABV (80 proof) and can be found in
750ML bottles for between $21.99 to $30.00. Maison
Leblon Reserva Ospecial is also 40% ABV (80 proof)
and is sold in 375ML bottles for between $17.99 to $28.00
per bottle.
By George Brozowski
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more Rants & Raves click
here.
http://www.leblon.com/leblon
