Cachaça has much in common with rums, yet today it is seen as a separate category. The raw material is sugar cane, but cachaça is made directly from freshly squeezed juice. It may come as a surprise to learn that cachaça is the third most popular spi ...
Cachaça has much in common with rums, yet today it is seen as a separate category. The raw material is sugar cane, but cachaça is made directly from freshly squeezed juice. It may come as a surprise to learn that cachaça is the third most popular spirit in the world. In Brazil, its consumption is twice that of the globally popular gin. Only 1% of total production reaches the foreign market. So don't hesitate to discover this relatively unknown category in our country.
Detail:
The brand's name refers to the founder's wife, who served as rector (Rectora or Magnifica in Brazilian) of the University of Rio de Janeiro. The name is therefore a tribute to this lady.
Cachaça Magnífica is built in a location 100 km from the city of Rio de Janeiro. Nevertheless, it is an unspoilt environment with clean air and water, located at 800 metres above sea level. The sugar cane for the production of cachaça comes from the producer's own plantations, which are committed to organic production.
The cane is harvested by hand and the bark is pressed. The press is powered by a century-old steam engine which uses the residue from the pressed cane as fuel. Fermentation is a natural process. During this phase, the aromatic components of the cachaça are formed by the joint action of natural yeasts and local micro-organisms.
Cachaça Magnífica is distilled in a triple copper pot known as an Alegria - one of the few still in use in Brazil. The liquid residue from the distillation is used as fertilizer, returning the organic material from the sugar cane to the soil. They use barrels made from ipê, one of the most noble woods in Brazil, and American oak bourbon barrels for maturation.
A number of competitions are held in Brazil to assess the quality of cachaça. One of the most prestigious is the Cúpula de cachaça, in which Cachaça Magnífica has taken the top spot several times (2014, 2018, 2020). It has also received awards at the ShowRum Tasting Competition in Italy, where it dominated the Best in class aged cachaça category in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Flavour profile:
Cachaça Magnífica Tradicional Ipê is aged for a minimum of one year in barrels made of fine Brazilian ipê wood. This gives it a light amber colour, a fresh tropical fruit aroma and an intense flavour. This cachaça is perfect for making Caipiriñha and other citrus drinks.
Manufacturer/Importer:
The Cachaça Magnífica brand was founded in 1985 by João Luiz de Faria. At the same time, he worked with other producers on cachaça legislation, resulting in the "Brazilian Cachaça Plan" in 1997 and later the Brazilian Institute of Cachaça (IBRAC). In the same year, the Chamber of Industry of the cachaça value chain was created under the Ministry of Agriculture, with João Luiz de Faria as its first president. Today, João's sons, Raul and Ana Luiz, continue the work he started.
Producer's address: Magnifica de Faria
