Dose Classica Serie Ouro. This is a relatively new cachaça brand which was formed in 2002 by Ralphe Ferreira Jr, who was inspired by his grandfather’s love of Cachaca.

Dose Classica simply translates as “The Classic Dose”. In this instance I do not think the producers are referring to the type of “dose” or “dosage” that some corners of the rum world like to refer to.

Classica Distillery is situated in Aracruz, Espirito Santo State. Espirito Santo borders the much bigger Minas Gerais state, which is famed for its cachaça. Hopefully the near neighbour state has picked up a few hints. The land where the sugar cane is grown is fertilised, with the remains of sugar cane in the form of bagasse and vinhoto.

Once harvested the sugar cane is fermented with Dose Classica’s three unique yeast strains – which they are very proud of. They believe this helps set their cachaça apart.

Dose Classica is then distilled in small batches, in Copper Pot Stills. As well as this Serie Ouro,  Dose Classica have a series of other cachaca’s. A Cristal (White), an Ebano (Scotch Whisky Barrel) as well as Mint, Coconut and Vanilla flavoured cachaças.

Dose Classica Serie Ouro is matured in Castanheira (Chestnut Tree) casks for two years. It is bottled at 40% ABV and a 700ml bottle will set you back around R$75 – around £16. Were this to come to Europe I would expect a price tag of around €/£30-35.

Dose Classica Serie Ouro comes in a tall bar style bottle albeit it for the short neck. It has a fairly simple front label with minimal information on the Cachaca – really just the name, bottle size and ABV. The logo and typeface are fairly modern but if this were to occupy shelf space in Europe it might need a bit of an upgrade bearing in mind I couldn’t see it selling in the £15-25 price bracket, which this presentation kind of suggests.

Still we know better to judge a cachaça (or rum) by presentation alone. Likewise, when I pour Dose Classica Serie Ouro in my glass, I am not discouraged by its straw to white wine colour.

I’ve been unable to find out how long the Serie Ouro is aged in Chestnut wood for but I’m guessing not all that long!

The nose is initially quite heavy on the alcohol. Not a problem for me to be honest I quite like a bit of a kick, especially with something of a lower ABV. Further nosing reveals some spicy oak like notes – quite woody with notes of ginger and a touch of cinnamon.

There is a slightly soapy note – but not as pronounced as some cachacas. Roasted hazelnuts and peanuts give this cachaça a sweeter profile on the nose. A nice balance is afforded by some vanilla notes and a light dusting of icing sugar.

Sipped – this is quite a new experience for me. The wood gives a quite spicy note on the palate – lots of ginger and some slight bitterness. Almost like gnawing on a little bit tree bark. Not something I have done since childhood – and I didn’t do too often then.

The slight bitterness gives way to some vanilla and some gingerbread. Some dark chocolate and indeed a touch of Brasil Nut believe it or not.

There is a slight acidity to this – just to let you know it is a cane juice distillate. Some notes of sugar cane do shine through but overall its pretty nicely balanced and easy to sip.

The finish whilst not exceptionally long sticks around long enough and gives a nice balance of spicy oak and some mild sweetness – vanilla and some light toffee.

As a mixer it makes some pretty good mixed drinks such as a Caiprinha. It even stands up nicely with a little cola as the woody profile smooths out nicely but gives a nice bite to the drink at the same time.

This is a tasty, nicely balanced cachaça. Only two years old – so it commendable how palatable it is as a sipper. It’s not the greatest or the most complex cachaça I have tried so far. Nor is it the most expensive.

A decent all round “gold” cachaça.