Novo Fogo Tanager is the first cachaça to benefit from double maturation in two different types of wood. In fact, after a year's ageing in reused oak casks, it is transferred to arariba casks for a few months' finishing. Arariba is a zebrawood typical of southern Brazil, which gives a very natural and original red color.
The Novo Fogo distillery is located in Pico do Marumbi, in the heart of the rainforest and at the foot of the Serra do Mar mountains. The entire range of cachaças is certified organic. The sugar canes are harvested by hand and pressed within hours of cutting. Fermentation of the vesou with wild yeasts takes 18 hours, followed by distillation in a copper still.
This is an original cachaça that can be enjoyed neat or in a cocktail, such as a Sazerac.
Laurens Segers
Tastes like basil & paprika and it works!
Stéphane Ti'verre
On the nose 👃🏻: it's really atypical compared to what I know (I should point out that this is my first cachaça). There's a lot of spice, mainly cinnamon. The woodiness itself is very noticeable in the glass, with the arariba bringing a real singularity. For example, it's a bit like honeyed toast, with a note of candied apricot. At the same time, I find it has a slight herbal touch. The whole is reasonably sweet.
In the mouth 👅: the woodiness is already very pronounced for such a young product. Here again I'd evoke a bread crust or toast side, it's the closest thing to it to give an idea. It's accompanied first by a sweet, vanilla-like roundness, then a more bitter, caramelized woodiness with nuts in the mid-palate, such as hazelnuts. It's just peppery and not very sweet.
The finish is long. In addition to the lingering woodiness, I find more intense pepper and clove. At the very end, there's a slight fruity touch that reminds me of plum. Here, however, it clearly dries out the palate, there's a lot of tannin 👌
Verdict ⚡️: this is a totally new flavor for me, and I was surprised. This cachaça clearly brings something original to the table, but I have to say it won't necessarily appeal to everyone. On my two tastings, the beginning was a bit peculiar, then I enjoyed it more and more on the following sips. A little more sweetness would have helped 🙂