Cachaçagora - Cachaça, Caipirinha, And Cocktails

Most Awesome Cachaça Collection I've Yet Seen In North America

I found this treasure trove today at Sam's Wine & Spirits in Chicago's South Loop.

Here, you can see Cachaça 61 (ten better than Cachaça 51, I guess?), Ypióca Ouro and Crystal, Leblon, Rio D, Água Luca, and both varieties — bálsamo and jequitibá rosa — of the absolutely sublime Aroma Brasil. 

The reason why you can only see the bálsamo Aroma Brasil there is because I bought the last jequitibá rosa. The bálsamo was on sale for $19.99, so I grabbed that too. (It's just as good, if not better, than the five-barrel-awarded jequitibá rosa.)

Also took home the Água Luca.

Now that my travel is going to stick to this continent for the foreseeable future, you'll see more results from the tasting lab.

Review: Rio D "Noite" Cachaça

An otherwise pleasant citrus characteristic in the nose and a quick hit of sweetness upon entering the mouth is followed by a sharp astringency in the finish, similar to what you might expect to taste in, say, Christian Brothers white brandy.

Generates a decently satisfying caipirinha, though. And maybe a good host of other mixed drinks. 

That said, I'm going two-and-a-half barrels.You can't really do much with this unless you do some work to soft-pedal its more unpleasant characteristics.

Random sidenote: Turns out I'll be taking a (decidedly non-cachaça-related) business trip to Atlanta soon, so I may check out the Rio D Wednesdays at Chima, a churrascaria in Buckhead.

Uncork Wine & Liquor, Illinois St., Chicago

 

Selection: Rio D, Ypioca Ouro, Leblon