Cachaca Japi Classica
Cachaca Japi Classica. This cachaca hails from Itupeva, Sao Paulo. It is produced at the JP Distillery. Cachaca production at JP Distillery began as far back as 1890. However, in 1925 the property on which the distillery was housed was sold to an Italian immigrant Cyrineo Tonol.
Cyrineo decided that he wished to cultivate coffee as it was more lucrative so the distillery was deactived and the cultivation of coffee beans began. Unfortunately partly due to the US Stock Market crash and the resulting “Great Depression” demand and the price of coffee plummeted between 1929 and 1931.
Whilst the family were able to find other ways to make the land profitable the distillery wasn’t reactivated until 1948. Cachaca Japi was born.
The name Japi refers to the Serra do Japi, which is the mountain range in which the JP Distillery is located. I’ve been unable to find out why the distillery is called JP unfortunately.
Cachaca Japi do have a website but I struggled to get it to translate into English. I’ve pieced together the best information I could work out! So bear with me if anything is wrong.
Cachaca Japi Classica has been aged in Amendoim barrels for 9 months. It has been bottled at 39% ABV. In Brasil I bottle will set you back around $R25-30 (£4.50 – £5.60 UK). Where we to sit in the UK I would expect it to be priced at around £25-30.
Prior to distillation and bottling the sugar cane is produced and harvested manually on site. All sugar cane is then processed within 24 hours and the juice begins the fermentation process. Once completed distillation takes place on Copper Alembic Pot Stills only. No column distillation is used at JP distillery.
So let’s move on and see how I found this particular “white” cachaca.
In the glass we have a crystal clear liquid, the 9 months of ageing in Amendoim have not added any colour to the spirit.
The nose on Cachaca Japi Classica is very pleasant with very minimal alcohol fumes. I was expecting a bit more fire to be honest. It noses a lot “older” than I was expecting. It has a lovely elegant floral balance. Rosewater and some grassy notes mingle along really nicely.
Further nosing reveals some light citrus – lemon and lime and a touch of grapefruit. There is a slightly herbal note as well with hints of lemongrass and some light basil.
There are some aromas of toffee and ginger as well.
It’s a really complex nose for such a young spirit. There are no off notes and it all works quite nicely.
Sipped neat it is a real palate cleanser of spirit. Full of clean citrus and vegetal notes on the initial sip. A good hit of spices as well – ginger and a touch of white pepper. As you move into the mid palate the cachaca becomes a little bitter with more spice and some woody notes.
The more floral aromas that were present on the nose are in the mix throughout giving this cachaca and extra layer of complexity.
Finish wise, like many cachacas at this ABV it isn’t overly long or complex. You get a fair amount of spicyness left behind but this is more young alcohol than anything else. That said this cachaca is marketed more as a mixer/shot than a Premium Sipping Cachaca.
Using Cachaca Japi Classica for mixed drinks makes for some excellent classic drinks. A Caiprinha with Classica Japi Classica is a really enjoyable spicy/citrus heavy affair and Ti Punch is really great – a bit more ABV would have made this even better.
The 9 months in the Amendoim wood has really given this a bit of an edge over most white unaged cachaca. I think it has really tempered some of the young alcohol. Kind of smoothed off the edges and added a nice layer of complexity in its place.
Good stuff – I’d certainly be keen to try their Ouro given the chance.
Appleton Estate Extra is the “Ultra Premium rum in the Appleton Estate family and it is touted as unsurpassed masterpiece of oak ageing”. Now I’m not one for re-producing a companies marketing material but I will make an exception in this instance.
The nose also draws you in. Unlike many Jamaican rums it is not at all pungent. The Jamaican funk of lesser aged rums such as their White Overproof or the V/X is not present. It is a million miles away from the ester heavy Smith & Cross, Hampden or a Monymusk offering. It is a very nice nose. It remind me of Bajan rums and also St Vincent’s Captain Bligh XO. It has that extra little spicy nose. The nose is all rich brown sugar/molasses, dry oak tones and mix of citrus and cinnamon and ginger notes. It’s as good a nose as I have noted especially from a Jamaican rum – thus far.
Ninefold Distillery Barrel Aged Pure Single Rum – Release #1. This is the first aged rum release from Scotland’s Ninefold Rum Distillery. It follows on from last years unaged release of
Presentation wise Ninefold have a very strong branding throughout their website and bottlings. Once again they have produced a very premium and very modern looking product. To be honest if I ever do a bottling I’ll be asking Kit who his graphic designer is, as I think the presentation is top notch. I love the 3/4 sized bottle and the chunky wooden topped synthetic cork stopper gives a very satisfying “pop” when opened.
In many ways this rum is a bit of a a funny one. It’s big, bold and brash but at the same time has a sweetness and a “more-ish” factor to it which really draws you in.
ABOUT Brazil Artisanal Cachaca Gold. The Engenho Buriti Distillery in Papagaios, Minas Gerais began production in 2010. They produce cachaca under the brand names such as of Famosinha de Minas, Santuario de Minas, Dona Branca, and Buriti.
tuck and the watercolour depicts the historical city of Ouro Preto.
ll aspects of its delivery.
Cachaca Peruacu. The producers behind Cachaca Peruacu have been active since 1995 producing cachaça. However, the Cachaca Peruacu brand has only been in existence since 2012.
I did mix this and whilst it worked pretty well especially in a Caiprinha. I found it superior as a sipper though. Mixed, it was perhaps a touch too light and it lost a lot of flavour. At the price point,(if you are in Brasil) you might struggle to find a cachaça that is as tasty as this as sipper.
DropWorks Clear Drop Rum. Over the past 10 years the number of distilleries in the UK has grown rapidly. Whilst a lot of these have been riding the Gin craze and creating Vodka and (Spiced) Rum as a side project, a number are increasingly focusing more on rum.
So without further ado we may as well get on with the fun part.
Foursquare Magisterium. The latest (unless they have snuck another one out in the last few days) in the increasingly prolific Exceptional Cask Series from Foursquare Rum Distillery, Barbados.
Beneath this we have an array of rich dark fruits – almost like a Black Forest Gateaux filling.