In the top five most popular kinds of wood to age cachaça, jequitibá (pronounced je-kee-chee-bah) is a star. Found mostly in Southeast Brazil, each tree is known to live for more than just a few years. According to Wikpedia, the oldest on record is 3,000 years old! Because of its rapid growth, it is often used as a tree to help support the Atlantic Rainforest eco-system, and is often used to replant areas that have been deforested.
Though oak is a much-favored, globally recognized wood used to age spirits, it’s expensive. The exchange rates between the Brazilian Real and US Dollar or Euro have been better than they are now, for sure. But even when the currencies were more balanced, oak barrels were still a luxury. Thus, the search has been frantic for a Brazilian-wood that can approximate the flavors that so many people around the globe enjoy. Research at the University of Sao Paulo found that jequitibá is just as good as oak in terms of reducing acid. Jequitibá is also shown to have many similarities to American oak, with aroma, and notes of vanilla.
Cachacier's first release from Princesa Isabel includes jequitibá precisely because of its exceptional sensory characteristics. If you've purchased our expression, you'll notice very slight color, and a smooth, yet robust flavor, which doesn't dampen the cane flavor, with notes of vanilla but rounds out the edges. Princesa Isabel's jequitibá is so good that it was named the best silver cachaça in Brazil several years ago.
As we've stated elsewhere, jequitibá is a great spirit for traditional cachaça cocktails, including the caipirinha and our exciting new cachaça fizz. But beyond that, cachaça aged in jequitibá is superb in its own right.
So, whether you're a cocktail-maven or a purist, you will greatly enjoy our jequitibá expression. Head on over to the store to check it out!