Objective Notes

Extremely Smooth (on the RnD scale of Harsh-Smooth-Very Smooth-Extremely Smooth)

Novo Fogo Silver Cachaça is clear in color as a result of it being aged in stainless steel tanks and not oak. Aromas are noticed soon after you pour it into a glass. A soft blend of earthy aromatic notes of fresh cut cane, floral blossom, and lime peel are discovered. Only clean aromas with no off alcohols detected. Sipping reveals a nice medium body, clean with mildly subtle flavors of cane juice, tea, allspice, anise, and citrus. The finish is slightly peppery sweet, mildly warm, and short-lived.    

Anecdotal Notes

Roger - I met Dragos Axinte, the owner of Novo Fogo, at the Great American Distillers Festival this past October. He introduced me to his new brand of cachaça and the great story that is behind it.  Novo Fogo Silver starts with fresh sugarcane, but unlike many distillers, it’s harvested by hand. The cane is pressed and the juice is then fermented for a short amount of time. Then it’s carefully distilled in one pass through a copper pot still - done intentionally to avoiding the removal of flavors. The spirit sits for more than a year in stainless steel tanks, where it mellows out and becomes more refined. The cachaça is unfiltered and no additives or chemicals are used in the process resulting in a truly organic product certified by the USDA.  Cold filtration is often used by distillers to reduce cloudiness in cooler climates (though I did not see this) but it also can remove some character and flavor. The result is a great final product that is a refined yet flavorful crystal clear cachaça.

The Novo Fogo facility sits at the edge of the Atlantic rainforest on a mountain side near the town of Morretes in Brazil. This allows them to use a gravity fed system to move the product through the building during the process and not have to use electrical pumps which can introduce impurities and use electricity. The pressed sugarcane  bagasse is used to help fire the steam boiler for heating the still. It’s also used as a natural fertilizer in the cane fields as Nov Fogo uses no chemicals. In fact the facility is a zero waste facility. Even the offensive tasting heads and tails of the distillate are used to run farm vehicles, as cleaning agents and fertilizer.

Packaging is first rate, and designed for efficiency behind the bar.  The recycled glass bottle is hand blown and distinctively shaped like a guitar, making it easy to hold, while the long neck, covered in woven jute potato bag material, makes pouring easy.  Up top is a natural wood-capped synthetic cork, whereas a hand signed label proclaims the batch number. (L9321 for both of RnD’s samples.)  A recipe book (printed on recycled paper) adorns the neck, while the topper is made of synthetic cork (for durability) and natural wood (for aesthetics).  

Taster’s Opinion

Roger - Most white cachaças aren’t at their best when sipped neat, but Novo Fogo Silver has a great flavor along with a refined smoothness not found in such a young product. Try it neat or on the rocks before using it to make an excellent caipirinha such as the amazing Crystal Caipirinha (recipe is available on our if you must mix page). The company produces a handmade product using environmentally responsible practices at a good price.  I’m happy to find a new great Cachaça that’s available in the USA. 

Dave - What sets Novo Fogo apart from other cachaça’s imported to the USA is the natural cane flavor.  Too many of the silver cachaça’s available here in the USA taste like warmed over neutral spirits; basically vodka replacements with some added body and sweetener. Novo Fogo has more authentic flavor due to its organic production (USDA certified) and copper pot still distillation, which usually yields a heavier spirit with more flavor than column stills produce. and aging for one year in stainless steel helps mature the spirit. Saúde to Novo Fogo for stepping up with a more premium product that mixes as well as it sips.  If that’s what Novo Fogo (Portuguese for “New Fire”) means, then welcome to the party!

Taster's Rating (10 is best):

Roger - 9.0  Flasks; Dave - 9.5 Flasks

Most recently reviewed by:  Roger and Dave in December, 2010 in RnD’s North and South tasting rooms, USA.

* 750ml unless otherwise noted