Cachaça

Reviewed by Naren Young.

Beleza Pura It has a very nice cane nose, balanced with tropical fruits in the form of pineapple and lychee with almost no alcohol coming through.

With a good overall mouth-feel, it has a rich viscosity on the palate and finishes with some pleasant spice and smoke.

Excalibur Enterprises 203-869-8008

(pg. 52)

“The general public has a perception that cachaça is a low-quality beverage that will give you a hangover,” explains New York-based Olie Berlic, who is the unofficial ambassador of the Brazilian spirit and producer of premium brand Beleza Pura, created specifically for the U.S. market. “If you look at what is found in the market, you can say that this is a true assertion.”

“For a great number of cachaça producers, by what I saw and tasted in Brazil, price is more important than quality,” Berlic says. “Due to the volume of production in Brazil [about 396 million gallons per year, according to statistics published by USA Today], there is a very large market, but the percentage of premium product is only about two percent of that. What happens is that most producers end up making something more affordable, and this helps to perpetuate the concept that this is a low-quality spirit.”

Berlic, who traveled to Brazil and tasted more than 800 kinds of cachaça before he was able to find the flavor and quality that he sought, says that he had a clear idea of who was making quality product or who was just mediocre. “Brazil has the capacity of making spirits of great quality—the biggest problem is the demand and the fact that most are in the business to make money—without the demand, many producers believe that there is no advantage in making a premium spirit because it will not translate in sales—at the time I made my research at the end of 2001, I was surprised that no one was making quality un-aged cachaça.”

Riding the Wave
Olie Berlic was one of the first Americans to take cachaça seriously. Armed with a sommelier’s background and a sense of adventure, he tasted more than 800 different versions in Brazil over a threeyear period, finally settling on a source of sugar cane, a distillery, and a recipe for his new brand, Beleza Pura. Berlic describes his cachaça in terms that might sound familiar to wine connoisseurs. “I was looking for fresh sugar cane flavors in the mouth,” he says, “and a long, clean finish.” Beleza Pura is indeed pure: It’s made from 100 percent cane juice, and no chemicals are used to speed fermentation, unlike large-scale cachaças. “Cachaça should not be sweet,” Berlic asserts, acknowledging that confusion with rum leads even some expert spirits nosers to expect a sweetness on the palate. “It’s all about quality: bouquet, mouthfeel, flavors, and finish.” The cachaça wave has created a tide of opportunity for spirits entrepreneurs.

Read the Full Article (links to PDF)

Be sure to read Seth Klugel’s great story in the New York Times dated 4/9/08 which has been run around the world through the BBC and Associated Press. And don’t miss Ray Isle’s cachaça, food and wine loving story in the May issue of Food & Wine Magazine a great article that explores the world of cachaça production in Brazil, and don’t miss Ray’s blog . Both of these articles tap the North American cachaça expert, Olie Berlic for insight into this fascinating category - find out why

This year’s International Rum Festival brought top honors for Beleza Pura’s Super Premium Cachaça and Caipirinha.

The Super Premium Cachaça took the Gold in the “Unaged Cachaça” category, while the Caipirinha took the Silver in the “Flavored Cachaça” category.

See the other awards won by Beleza Pura^® Cachaça and Beleza Pura^® Caipirinha

Where to Find Cachaca in New Zealand

To help introduce quality cachaça to a wider audience, we’ve posted an online tasting guide that walks novices & connoisseurs alike through the proper evaluation techniques for this fine spirit—

View: The Beleza Pura^® Cachaça Tasting Guide

To listen online to an archive of the show: visit the Belray Asset Management site

To receive the show via podcast, subscribe here.

Olie Berlic, the creator of award-winning Beleza Pura^® Cachaça and Caipirinha, Founder/CEO of Excalibur Enterprise, will create a signature cocktail for your event and WILL MAN YOUR BAR! A passion-driven entrepreneur and perfectionist, the first importer to showcase quality Brazilian spirits, a former New York City Sommelier and entertainer, Olie will definitely add his lively twists for your fete, preparing the finest caipirinhas and signature cocktails this side of Rio.

Location for this fabulous opportunity is the New York City area, venue provided by the winning bidder. Additional regions are available based upon the travel schedule of Mr. Berlic, or at the winning bidder’s expense.

Winner also receives a product donation of:

• 2-3 cases of Beleza Pura^® Super-Premium Cachaça
• 1-2 cases of Beleza Pura^® Caipirinha
• Various fruits and ingredients required for Beleza Pura^® cocktails

Full details here

Or view other auction items that support the Princess Grace Awards