Dom Bre Ouro Carvalho. Hailing from the Guarani Distillery in the state of Minas Gerais comes Dom Bre. “Cachaca Con Arte” as the label goes.

I have noticed that the Cachaca producers seem very keen to point out the artisan aspects of their production. Also they seem very keen on pointing out how sustainable and ecologically sound their production facilities are. I’ll confess I’m not all that “green” minded but I am sure such practices will appeal to a good number of people. Just maybe forget about the fact the Cachaca has to be transported from Brasil to Europe…..

Dom Bre Ouro Carvalho is aged for 3 years in native Carvalho wood – which, I am told produces a sweeter, lighter Cachaca with notes of Vanilla. The Carvalho wood gives it a distinctive flavour. It is bottled at 40% ABV. A small batch production in Copper Pot Stills. It is produced at Alambique Guarani.

The cachaca is produced in a traditional way which is key to Cachaca production in Minas Gerais. Other states such as Sao Paolo are slightly more “innovative” than Minas Gerais, which prefers to keep things traditional and local.

Dom Bre Ouro Carvalho is blended using the best barrels in the distillery – all aged a minimum of 3 years. The distillery also produced a Dom Bre Ouro which is aged in Amburana wood. Another native Brasilian wood.

Presentation of the Dom Bre Cachaca is a little less “flashy” than some of the Cachaca’s I have seen. It is more in keeping with Premium Rum’s from the likes of Panama and the Dominican Republic. The dark red and gold colour scheme are quite elegant and the decanter style bottle cries out “Premium”.

In the glass Cachaca Dom Bre Ouro is a golden brown with a yellowed tinge. The nose is full of caramel and toffee. It’s quite sweet with notes of vanilla, popcorn and some sweet cashew nut.

Beneath the sweetness you get some hints of sugar cane and some more vegetal notes – but not very much and only upon further nosing. You could be mistaken for thinking this is a lighter Latin Style molasses rum.

There is an overall “honeyed” note which envelops this Cachaca.

Sipped it is very nutty – almonds and cashew nuts. It is nowhere near as sweet as the nose suggests. It has a good depth of ageing – nice woody spices. Further sipping reveals the honeyed notes from the nose. Along with some golden syrup and brown sugar.

In the mid palate and finish there is a slight bitterness – a touch of soap and a slight hint of banana leaf. There is a nice smokiness on the finish which is long and spicy.

This reminds me in many ways of rums from Barbados or Grenada. It’s not over the top but what it does is very nicely done. It’s not overly sweet but has enough sweetness to control and balance the wood ageing. There is a touch of the Rhum JM’s about this as well. Balance is the key with this.

I opted against mixing this cachaça as it is clearly intended for sipping and worked so well like that I just didn’t feel it right to bother mixing it. It seemed a bit of a waste.

This is quite close to a molasses based rum – the different wood used is the biggest clue this is Cachaca.

Good stuff