Casa Bucco 8-wood Blend
Distillery: Casa Bucco
Location: Tuiuty, Rio Grande do Sul
Aged: Yes
Aging time: 3 years (in oak)
Type of wood used for blend: Oak, Amburana, Angico, Balsam, Cabriuva, Grapia, Jequitiba Rosa, and Loro
ABV: 38%
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about my experience with the 7-wood blend from Weber Haus. Not to be outdone, its nearby neighbor, Casa Bucco, has decided to do one better.
I got this bottle through the Cachaçaria Nacional monthly member program last month and had been waiting to taste it. I’ve acquired a number of bottles recently, but this one was at the top of my list to try.
When I opened the bottle, I immediately succumbed to the swirling scents, which escaped. I wasn’t able to put them in any order, however. Was that Amburana? Balsam? Oak? Do I know?
The memories of the impact of these woods on other cachaças flittered through my head. But still, I couldn’t be sure.
Once I got the spirit in a glass, it was a very light brown, perhaps amber. With another thorough nose-full, I found the cane smell underlying everything: the canvas on which this art was created.
I figured, given the nose, that the palate would be similarly strong. I was wrong. The palate is beautifully complex, yet not overwhelming. It does not fill the mouth, but sits on the front of the tongue, humming ever so slightly, and then smoothly goes down the gullet.
What the tastes evoke cannot be ignored. As I tasted, I couldn’t help but think of dark wood and old books. This isn’t a tuxedo cachaça. Instead, it’s professiorial. The 8-woods make it a heady, thought-provoking product, which demands attention. There’s no way to begin to understand it otherwise. You can’t pair this with anything. You can’t drink this at a barbecue. You have to drink this alone, neat. Any other way would be disrespectful. And this cachaça deserves your respect.
I shared a dose with my father-in-law and my wife’s uncle. We all agreed that its complexity should not be combined with food or other cachaças.
If you can find a bottle of this, unquestionably, buy it. Casa Bucco has really outdone itself, and, dare I say, created perhaps one of the most complex spirits, while allowing it to be accessible to interested parties. Don’t share this with a casual cachaça drinker. It will be lost on them. Only those who like mysteries and riddles, who like to think while they drink, will appreciate this gem.
