Last week, the Embassy of Brazil in the Netherlands organised a cachaça tasting event in Rotterdam. The Spirits Business Global Master Award winning Engenho Dom Tapparo cachaça was present at this successful, informal promotion of the famous Brazilian drink in the Netherlands. What a nice way to discover the best cachaças in the world!
In Restaurant Rodizio Rotterdam Brazilian Grill, five different cachaça brands presented their best cachaça’s to an audience of importers, store owners, influencers and other interested visitors. In a speech, mr. Paulo Roberto Caminha de Castilhos França, Ambassador of Brasil in the Netherlands emphasised the enormous importance of cachaça for the Brazilian economy. The drink can only be produced in Brazil, where, according to 2007 figures, 1,500,000,000 litres are consumed annually.
History
Cachaça, a distilled spirit made from fermented sugarcane juice, was first made by slaves who worked in sugarcane mills in the early 1500s, shortly after the Portuguese introduced cane to the country. Once a staple for low-income workers, the drink initially was known as “pinga” but when quality went up, became better known by its name cachaça and became the biggest drink In Brazil.
Cachaça has two varieties: unaged (Portuguese: branca, “white” or prata, “silver”) and aged (amarela, “yellow” or ouro, “gold”). White cachaça is usually bottled immediately after distillation and tends to be cheaper. Some producers age it for up to 12 months in wooden barrels to achieve a smoother blend. It is often used as an ingredient in caipirinha and other mixed beverages. Dark cachaça, usually seen as the “premium” variety, is aged in wood barrels and is meant to be drunk neat. It is usually aged for up to 3 years, though some “ultra premium” cachaças have been aged for up to 15 years. Its flavour is influenced by the type of wood the barrel is made from.
Engenho Dom Tapparo
Engenho Dom Tapparo was proud to participate in this tasting event. The production of cachaças by Jose Tapparo started in 1978, in Mirassol Brazil. For long, the production was solely intended for private consumption for family and friends. But due to the high quality of the products, demand grew and the Engenho Dom Tapparo was founded. Currently, the company is run by the third generation of the family: Bruno, Giovanni and Breno Tapparo. What makes Dom Tapparo unique, is their attention to detail and as a result the high quality of the products they manufacture and sell. This was recently acknowledged by the Spirits Business Global Master Awards for the best cachaça in the world.
A selection of 5 cachaças were displayed in this event, aging from 6 months to 12 years, aged in European Oak, Brazilian Amburana and American Oak casks. Most attention went to the 10 years old Extra Premium cachaça, aged 7 years on Brazilian peanut wooden casks, followed by 3 years on American Oak. Most experts believed this was a taste sensation , which is comparable, if not better than some of the best high class whiskies and cognacs.
The full range of Engenho Dom Tapparo products is now available in selected stores, bars and restaurants in the Netherlands and can be found on @Bestofbrasil.eu .
‘Brazil Going Europe’
MVAventues, through it’s ‘Brazil Going Europe’ program, is supporting Brazilian manufacturers in successfully penetrating the European market. MVAventures and Engenho Dom Tapparo are partnering since late 2021.
