Ypioca Cinco Chaves. People in the UK may be familiar with the Ypioca brand. In time for the 2014 World Cup in Brasil, Sainsburys one of the countries leading supermarkets decided to stock some Brasillian Cachaca.

Their choice was Ypioca Prata – a white unaged cachaça, which comes in a weave covered bottle (similar to the old Zacapa bottlings) with a funny old man on the front.

You can still find it in Sainsburys today. I don’t think they have re-stocked it – they just never sold the initial allocation. This is probably not helped by them often giving it shelf space alongside Tequila rather than rum.

Ypioca Group are based in Ceara state. The brand began in 1843, when Dario Telles de Menezes landed in Fortaleza from Portugal. The original intention was to farm sugar cane but he soon began exploring the art of distillation. In 1846 they began producing cachaça. Ypioca is believed to be the oldest current cachaça brand in Brasil. It consists of seven different businesses which deal in mineral water production and farming, amongst others. As of 2012 the brand is owned by Diageo. Which might explain why Sainsburys picked up the Ypioca Prata.

As a result of this Ypioca are seen more as an Industrial Cachaca brand. Rather than producing their cachaça on Alembic Pot Stills they use Column stills and adopt more modern, industrial style work practices. They are a big player in the cachaça world.

They produce a number of different cachaca’s Cinco Chaves is one of their more high end cachacas. It retails at around $R100 – equivalent of £20 in the UK. Where it to be imported here I would expect a retails price at double that.

Ypioca Cinco Chaves is a blend of cachacas – some aged for 20 years. The cachaça’s have been aged in oak and chestnut wood. Ypioca boast a huge warehouse full of barrels made from traditional Brasilian woods. Some of which are extremely rare due to deforestation.Ypioca Cinco Chaves is a limited edition featuring numbered bottles. It is bottled at 39% ABV.

In the glass the cachaça is a white wine colour. It doesn’t look to have been aged all that long to be honest……

The nose is light with lots of double cream and vanilla ice cream. Hints of ginger and some hints of cinnamon and all spice. A slight note of fruity white wine also lines up in the mix. Subtle notes of light “woody” ageing. All very nicely balanced and inviting.

Sipping Ypioca Cinco Chaves reveals more a little more acidity. Despite being only 39% ABV it does have quite a strong fruity “white wine” like note to it. Green Apple, a touch of pomegremate.

Further sips reveal more of the creamy, milky notes which add a nice balance to the fruitier notes. There is a touch of bitterness and the mid palate isn’t very long or complex. This cachaça quickly fades and rushes to the finish which is quite oaky but has enough flavour – ginger, vanilla and oak to keep you interested.

Despite the quick transition from the initial sip to a very early finish this is still quite a tasty cachaça. The overall balance of the spirit is good and despite the low ABV of 39% it has a good depth to it.

It’s a little rough around the edges, maybe a touch too acidic but overall its not bad. Thing is I have had a lot better. Above average and nicely put together but nothing spectacular.