The Rocha family has been growing sugar cane and distilling into cachaça since 1902. The sugar cane used for Aguaviva is farmed without chemical pesticides using biodynamic techniques. They use an old fashioned, and infrequently implemented, procedure of manually grinding the canes with mills constructed in 1871 to ensure there’s no bark or pulpy residue in the pressed juice. Fermentation is with natural yeasts cultured from the sugar cane itself prior to distillation.
Cachaça is Brazilian rum made from pressed sugar cane juice. So like Martinque’s Rhum Agricole and Haiti’s Clarin Rhum, this is an agricultural product in comparison to the more common molasses-based rums on the market. It is a spirit capable of conveying terroir like a single malt scotch or fine brandy.
NOSE
Raw sugarcane and fresh grass with a faint olive and pepper note.
PALATE
Long and rather oily mouthfeel with subtle grass notes with lemongrass and faint cane sweetness balanced by peppery spirit spice.
FINISH
Cracked pepper spice with grass and cane flavours.
