Capucana Cachaça

Region - Piracicaba, Sao Paulo, Brazil

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    Initially, it wasn’t the joie the vivre Brazil represented that drew Christiano Matthiessen to the country. Instead, he came to Brazil as an engineer who was hired to plan roads and highways. His own plans completely changed when he met Sofia, half Brazilian and half German. Marriage to Sofia was quickly succeeded by the purchase of an estate in Piracicaba with the help of the then president of Brazil, Pudente Morais. A brief foray into carpentry and coffee late, the couple started a distillery in 1886 and began making cachaça in 1990. And so the story of the Capuava distillery begins.

     

    The distinctive bottle of Capucana came into existence much later, however, when the Spanish house of Vantguard collaborated with the fourth generation of Matthiessen distillers to develop a brand that would bring cachaça to the global fine spirit lover. Today, discerning drinkers enjoy Capucana not only for its alluring taste, but also for its efforts to bring promote the heritage and culture of cachaça across the world.

    Capucana Cachaça

    42% AbV, 700ml

    Capucana, which means “House of Canes” in the region’s Brazilian dialect, is a bottle that could be considered the ambassador of Brazilian cachaça. Produced in the oldest cachaçera in Piracicaba, the distinctive drink is a blend of nine varieties of fermented sugarcane from three farms — all distillates of different ages. Matured for three years after blending in American oak bourbon barrels, the resulting spirit is still has the raw, grassy power of a typical cachaça, but mellowed into a handcrafted, infinitely more sippable avatar. This gem won the silver at the International Spirits Challenge 2014, so it’s quite likely to wow you with its bright, aromatic and quite unforgettable spirit.

     

    Tasting Notes: A refreshing, grassy nose of aloe vera and orange makes way for a medium-bodied palate with notes of pepper, fruit and honey. The finish is wood, honey and smokey leather, reminiscent of the Islay Scotch Whisky barrels Capucana is aged in. Be prepared to be surprised, just like Christiano Matthiessen, by this unique Brazilian blend of complexity and robustness. The spirit is widely known at bars as being the base for a spirited caipirinha, but cachaca is much more versatile than you realise — you can enjoy it as an aperitif or even as a digestif mixed with a strong espresso, or as a base for a negroni or even a hot, spiced toddy.