Bella Mineira Blend: Oak, Balsam, and Amburana
Distillery: Bella Mineira
Location: Pouso Alegre, Minas Gerais
Aged: Yes
Aging time: 3 Years (in at least one barrel)
Type of wood used for aging: Oak, Balsam, and Amburana
ABV: 38%
As you may or may not have gathered, I am part of a monthly cachaça club through Cachaçaria Nacional. Each month, for 99 reais, members receive two bottles of cachaça, usually a prata, and the other aged. But that’s not all members get.
In addition to the two regular bottles, we also receive a sampler, a small bottle filled with cachaça made by a different supplier. I hadn’t paid much attention to these little bottles and have been putting them away, not thinking too much about them. I hadn’t even realized that different suppliers produce these small samples until last week.
It was then, after looking more closely at the first sampler I received, I realized what was going on. It’s a cool little extra gift and introduces us to cachaças we might not otherwise drink.
In June, we received this Bella Mineira blend. I was not at all familiar with this producer, who hails from Pouso Alegre, MG. This product is relatively inexpensive. Typically, a full bottle retails for about 35 reais.
Even before pouring this, the nose oozed out of the bottle with a powerful, vegetable odor. It's not the first time I’ve encountered this smell, which reminds me of a tomato soup can. It’s heavy, almost musky, and difficult to wade through. There are other notes to this, but the vegetable is so strong it’s difficult to find them.
In terms of appearance, this Bella Mineira is a medium brown color that sits nicely in the glass.
The palate is quite spicy. I had trouble distinguishing the woods used to age this cachaça. The sensations immediately filled my mouth, and soon, I found my palate on fire. It wasn’t what I would describe as pleasant.
In sum, I wouldn’t go out and buy a bottle of this. It’s not an immensely drinkable cachaça. One wouldn’t want to spend a long time with it. Having the tiny sample bottle was enough for me, and I’d imagine the same for other consumers.
If this one passes in front of you, sure, take a sip. If not, I can’t say you’re missing much.
