Novo Fogo Colibri Cachaca

There are multiple reasons I was so keen on getting my hands on this specific Cachaça bottling. First, I wanted an Amburana aged Cachaça. Amburana is a Brazilian Teak wood that imparts very unique attributes on spirits. Specifically it imparts deep Cinnanmon and Tapioca notes on spirits aged in it. *However*, and this is important, it is also an endangered tree species and is highly controlled, *so* I specifically wanted an Amburana aged Cachaça from a company that cared about the environment and sourced the Amburana legally and responsibly. Enter Novo Fogo. Novo Fogo produces organic Cachaças and sources their Amburana barrels legally and ecologically responsibly. In fact, not only does Novo Fogo source their barrels responsibly, they even replant endangered native woods back into the Amazon. Finally, even beyond being ecologically friendly in the Amazon rainforest, Novo Fogo is renowned for producing what many consider the highest quality Cachaças in Brazil.

Taking all of the factors above together, I wanted my first real Cachaça experience to be this very specific bottling. And I waited a long time to get this specific bottling. So, about this bottling: this rum is produced from fresh pressed organically grown sugar cane and then fermented for 18 hours with wild yeast derived from the cane itself. It is then distilled on a copper pot still and then aged in repurposed oak barrels and then Amburana barrels alternating back and forth between the two. There is no official word on how long it is aged but it is estimated to be between 3 to 4 years (thanks u/Tarquin_Underspoon). It is then bottled at 42% - which is slightly higher than most Cachaças.

So is this rum/Cachaça as special as its story? In a short answer, emphatically, yes, it is. If you ever get one Cachaça, make it this one.

Wafting it from the Glencairn I am immediately struck by an intense overwhelming smell of Tapioca pudding with sticks of raw, aged Vanilla bean and a very generous sprinkling of Cinnamon. As in I just stuck my face right down into the pot and inhaled. It’s downright awesome and more intense than I imagined. Behind that I get egg custard and nutmeg. It then transitions to Cherimoya (a tropical South American fruit in the same family as Soursop but different) before rounding out with fresh Brioche dough. It’s intensely spicy, fruity, and doughy all at once, but the Tapioca and Cinnamon really stand out.

Taking a sip I am immediately struck by intense Cinnamon, Tapioca, Vanilla Bean, and Brandy. Underlying that is a noticeable minerality, like you get in very hard spring water. With the addition of a small amount of water I get a rich Cinnamon Butter creamy note, faint Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, and finally a savory note akin to the smell of Driftwood.

The finish mirrors the palate and the nose in that the Tapioca, Cinnamon, and Vanilla bean notes linger around throughout my senses. Towards the end I get kind of a light Menthol-like chest warming/cooling sensation.

It should go without saying that this is an entirely different universe from the likes of Pitu. It’s not even on the same plane of existence. This is excellent and all things considered, outright fantastic. Specifically, the nose on this rum is incredible - right up there with Clairin Ansyen Le Rocher 21 Months: intense, rich, unique and unforgettable. The palate is almost as memorable even if not quite as intense as the nose. The finish is just as good as the palate. As a total package, this is just impossible to beat in the realm of Cachaça. After a bit of experimentation, it is best enjoyed with just a splash of cold water sipped straight from the Glencairn. In short, this is damn good and I knocked off 1/3 of my bottle just for this sitting…for science!

It also makes an absolutely incredibly nuanced Caipirinha, but frankly it is almost too good to waste on the added lime and sugar.

Short Description: A bowl of homemade Tapioca pudding with fresh aged Vanilla beans and a generous sprinkling of Cinnamon captured, bottled and infused into a cane juice rum of the highest quality.

ABV 42%

Country of Origin: Brazil

Province: Parana

Distillery: Agroecologica Marumbi

Nose: intense Tapioca, Vanilla Bean, Cinnamon, Egg Custard, Nutmeg, Cherimoya, Brioche dough

Palate: Cinnamon, Brandy, Tapioca, Vanilla Bean, Minerality, with water: Cinnamon Butter, faint Cookie Dough, Driftwood

Finish: Tapioca, Vanilla Bean, Cinnamon, Menthol sensation

Aroma - cinnamon toast crunch followed by tart blackberry, mineral water, grape medicine

Taste - cinnamon followed by cognac grapes, bitter oak, and a brown sugar finish

I wanted to like this cachaca so badly. The nose is incredible. Candied chestnuts through and through, but unfortunately I just can't get over how much the wood comes through on the palate. It's just way too much. I wish it was aged just a bit shorter because I see the potential, the flavors are there. The Tanager is a favorite of mine, so I had really high hopes for this one. Too strong to sip, and I worry it would just overpower anything I mixed it in. Maybe I'll revisit this one in the future.

Edit: My wife really wanted to try this cachaca despite my objections. I'm glad she convinced me to grab a bottle. My original assessment is not wrong, per se, the wood is still strong, but this second bottle I tried was not nearly as overpowering as the first. Definitely an inconsistent bottling, but the baking spice flavors come through much stronger than the wood on this bottle. I definitely get really nice notes of cinnamon and candied chestnut. Enough to bump up my original rating a point. Decent sipper, I still think it would overpower a cocktail but I'm kind of excited to experiment with this. It could potentially make a really great rum-fashioned.

Very heavy on the brazilian wood. If you like the cinnamon, this is for you.

Part of the covid home rum tasting by Laka Lono in 2020.
This rum! It tastes like a flower garden, mixed with vanilla and honey.
A delicious rum.

Sampled at the Laka Lono Rum Club tasting on 5/14/20. Gold in color with a doughy aroma. Sandalwood is the dominant thing going on here. Mint and stevia. Mild cinnamon. Smooth palate with a big mouthfeel thickness.

I can drink this the whole day.
The nose doesn't bring anything special.
Flavor-wise cinnamon and the herbal flavor of the Cachaça are front. Then in the back comes some honey-like flavor. Amazingly good stuff.
The best Cachaça I have ever tried.

This is a wonderful but difficult to describe sipping Cachaca. Cinnamon and tropical fruit stand out for me. Aged in part in amburana wood, an endangered Brazilian teakwood. This company is ecologically driven and uses only legally obtained wood. I fear for their future with the change of government in Brazil.