Cachaca Mandaguahy Amendoim. As noted with last weeks review of Cachaca Fuzue I will be writing quite a bit about Cachaca from now on. With so many rum reviews online and so little written about Cachaca in English I feel it is a good opportunity to help us all learn a little more about Cachaca.

Many of the brands I will be covering will be unfamiliar to the European and American market. Many are very much domestic products. However, the House of Cachaca are trying to lift the profile of Cachaca beyond just Brasil.

I’ll be 100% honest this is also a good opportunity for me to grow the blog to get more of an audience in Latin America as well.  Cachaca Mandaguahy is currently not available outside of Brasil – though they are hoping to change this. As a result I can’t really comment on pricing etc. I would imagine that any aged Cachaca that may make its way especially to the UK will command a price point of at least £30. That however is something to concern ourselves with going forward.

Cachaca Mandaguahy is a handcrafted cachaça. The Santana do Mandaguahy Farm located in Jahu, Sao Paolo State has been producing it’s own sugar cane since 1960. This sugar cane is used in the cachaça alongside natural yeast (with no chemical additives). Cachaca Mandaguahy is distilled in Copper Pot Stills using only the “heart” of the distillate. It is then stored in stainless steels vats. This particular Amendoim Cachaca is then transferred to Amendoim casks. Amendoim is a wood native to Brasil. The production is totally ecological and self-sustaining, all by products are used as field fertiliser and animal feed.

This cachaça has been matured in Amendoim casks for 18 months. It is bottled at 40% ABV. In Brasil it is available in 5cl,50cl and 70cl bottles.

Amendoim casks are said to impart only delicate flavours to the cachaça – they are not dominant. Notes of fruity truffle and notes of peach are said to be imparted by this wood.

Cachaca Mandaguahy have a webpage and Facebook page should you require further information.

In the glass Cachaca Mandaguahy is the colour of white wine.

The nose is light and delicate and slightly vegetal. An air of grassiness is. It’s very fresh and vibrant like freshly mown grass or a summers day in a cornfield.

That’s a bit “flowery” for me but this Cachaca is best described that way!

It has as slight more “aggression” on the nose than the Cachaca Fuzue but it’s still a very delicate and light smelling spirit.

It has a very pleasant biscuit quality – a bit like freshly rolled biscuit dough or sweet pastry. Nice notes of vanilla and very light caramel. There is a nice “perfumed” flowery note bringing it all together.

Sipped it is surprisingly easy-going down despite its relative youth. It’s very spicy with a lot of citrus notes – lemon, lime and a touch of sweetened orange zest. Notes of ginger and a touch of turmeric/cardamon.

Taste wise Cachaca Mandaguahy is a little short and the finish is a light burn with some gentle spices. It’s not a big dominating spirit its very delicate and easy going. The finish is quite perfumed – rosehip and some rose petals alongside some zesty lemon and a touch of red pepper.

This is a really easy Cachaca to sip. Mixed it works well and makes a nice Caiprinha but it is perhaps best enjoyed on its own. It’s relative youth and all round delicate taste and aroma is best appreciated on its own.

From what I can gather the distillery do have other Cachaca’s – some older and some aged in different woods. I would be keen to try one of their older Cachaca’s as this has really taken on a lot of flavour in the 18 months it has been aged. More time in the cask would be very interesting to try.

The Hydrometer also shows no additives have been errrrmmmm added. Which is refreshing and re-assuring. They talk of artisanal production and they deliver. This is a very clean, very fresh tasting spirit and it is a really nice departure from heavier molasses rums or a grassier more vegetal agricole.

I’m really enjoying these departures into Cachaca.

Viva Brasil!