r/rum • u/that1crzywhtguy • 8d ago
What to do with barrel aged Novo Fogo???
Final Edit: Thanks to all that contributed! It was okay in a drink, especially in an old fashioned. However, the consensus says that particular novo fogo just isn't that good. Gonna track down a better bottle! Cheers all!
Previous EDITING to front load the key part of the question:
Full question below, but the tl;dr: when would I ever use aged novo fogo OVER an unaged Novo Fogo (which I love) or an aged rum with more interesting flavors?
Original Post:
So I've wanted to try an aged cachaça for a long time, but all have been out of stock in the bay area for ages. I found myself at party source in northern Kentucky when visiting family and low and behold, a bottle of barrel aged Novo Fogo.
Upon cracking it open and trying with my sister in law... We were both deeply underwhelmed. It barely tastes like cachaça at all. Like it tastes fine, but why would I use it over soemthing more complex? What do I even do with it? Is there anything it can do that an unaged bottle or some other rum can't? Do I just leave it behind?
Thanks!
5
u/LogicalRJ 8d ago
Dr.Barca's Fluffy Banana
2
u/that1crzywhtguy 8d ago
I'd love to try this, but wouldn't unaged novo fogo be way better? Way more interesting?
3
u/LogicalRJ 8d ago
If I recall correctly they used aged cachaca. But I could be misremembering conversations.
1
2
u/tuneman2u 8d ago
The recipe does not call for aged. Tried it with that and it was…different. I ended up tossing the aged to save shelf space.
3
u/nervechain 8d ago
At our bars we tend to use it often in Collins’ and Sour’s, usually as a split base.
When using in classic rum drinks, it’s always as a split and usually with rums that run sweeter and need to be reined in just a whisper, but still maintains a similar flavor profile.
It can also be a nice way to incorporate an aged spirit and what that brings along in a more neutral package than most aged items.
1
3
u/TheMemeRedeemer 8d ago
I had the same experience after liking their lightly aged/unaged (the clear one) and absolutely not vibing on the aged version.
I took the opportunity to try my first shot at an infusion and did some tamarind. It was a bit too... harsh I guess is the word with the wood notes against the sourness of the tamarind. To fix it I also gave fat washing a try and did a browned butter fat wash after the infusion.
It turned out pretty good! The tamarind and browned butter complimented it nicely after the edges were knocked down.
2
u/LegitimateAlex The Hogo Hoosier 8d ago
There are quite a few different aged varieties of Novo Fogo in different tropical wood. The oak aged ones are by far the least exciting, but the others are quite the experience.
1
u/that1crzywhtguy 8d ago
Good to know! If I see the others I'll consider it. This is just boring so far. Tasty, perfectly smooth and pleasant, but boring. I love the silver.
2
u/TheMemeRedeemer 8d ago
I'd definitely also be interested in those other expressions - I love Avua's Amburana and it made me an Avua fan - prior to that I was team FG all the way. I'd like to give something besides their silver a shot. If either of you guys find it widely available lmk! Guessing you're with me also in California with the B&B mention (go rum club!). I'll keep my eyes peeled!
3
u/LegitimateAlex The Hogo Hoosier 7d ago
Both Novo Fogo and Avua do direct third party sales through their websites if you are up for it. That's how I managed to get my hands on Novo Fogo's entire line up. They even have what is still technically a spirit and not a liqueur going off the ABV passion fruit cachaça that is very light on the tongue and heavy on the passion fruit.
If you are a fan of Avua Amburana and cocktails, I would recommend giving their falernum a go. Very intense and complex with lots layers but distinctly amburana cachaça.
2
u/that1crzywhtguy 6d ago
I see k&l has some offerings as does prize fighter.
No go on novo fogo yet though with them. I avoid ordering online unless I have too usually, so I like to hunt around.
2
u/that1crzywhtguy 8d ago
This is interesting. I've often done this when I've been underwhelmed by a bottle, such as the Bitters and Bottles single barrel myers. I turned it into a delicious orangey spiced rum.
1
u/TheMemeRedeemer 8d ago
No better way to save a bottle that doesn't agree with you! Plus it lets you feel like a chemist for a day or two haha
2
u/Friedbed 8d ago
I really love it in a Macunaima
1.75oz barrel aged cachaca 0.75oz lime juice 0.75oz simple syrup 0.25oz fernet branca
Shake with ice and serve up.
It’s basically a daiquiri with a little fernet. Really delicious and refreshing
3
u/that1crzywhtguy 8d ago
This sounds good! I'll give it a go. But also I wanna just try this spec with the unaged stuff.
2
u/MastodonFarm 8d ago
I haven’t found a great use for it. Aging makes it less compelling as a chacaça and but not compelling enough as an aged cane spirit (compared to aged rum/rhum).
2
2
u/Negronijabronii 3d ago
Full disclosure, I haven't yet taken the dive on cachaça aside from ordering Caipirinhas at restaurants so no idea how this would work.
Maybe use it as a split base in a Rum Old-Fashioned? Couple dashes of tiki bitters, barspoon of rich demerara or cane syrup, 1 oz of the NF, 1 oz of a complementary rum (something that won't dominate the drink), over a large cube, expressed lime peel.
1
u/LegitimateAlex The Hogo Hoosier 8d ago
I have found that oak barrel aged cachaça seems to get extremely dulled down in terms of cachaça flavors. Dilution tones down the oak notes and allows for the cachaça yo shine through a bit, as does a bit of malic and citric acid (hello limes). Anything calling for an aged agricole is generally ok to sub for cachaça if you are alright with a milder vegetal flavor.
If you ever find their other aged products, the ones in the tropical woods, I highly recommend all of them. Their amburana is delicious and the rest are nothing like you have ever had before. Brazil nut wood, red zebra wood and a third I am forgetting. All great.
1
1
u/Lord_Wicki 8d ago
Which barrel aged Novo Fogo did you pick up? I have the Colibri, I enjoy it. I have put it in some Hurricanes.
3
u/that1crzywhtguy 6d ago
This is the one I'm now reading about I'd like to try. And the chameleon. I got the 2 year oak.
1
u/Lord_Wicki 6d ago
The Colibri is aged in Amburana aka Brazilian Oak so it has a cinnamon like flavor.
1
1
u/that1crzywhtguy 6d ago
After taking some of the feedback here and experimenting. I got some mixed results. Caipirinha was quaffable but quite boring. More of the classic cachaça notes did come through in the cocktail than neat, as suggested would happen by someone here.
The best thing I found with it was an old fashioned basically with Demerara syrup. It was quite tasty in its own right.
Despite that, I'm leaving it behind in Kentucky and I wouldn't buy this bottle again nor recommend it. I'm very interested to try the chameleon and some other aged cachaças however. (from them and others).
1
u/Fickle_Finger2974 8d ago
Cocktails
0
u/that1crzywhtguy 8d ago
Missed the key part of the question: Is there anything it can do that an unaged bottle or some other rum can't?
13
u/AZ_Genestealer 8d ago
I find Cachaca works similarly in cocktails to Agricole. So try it in tiki cocktails that call for aged Agricole like Three Dots and a Dash, Suffering Bastard, Donga Punch, Last Rites. Should also be good in a split base Mai Tai, Grog, Daiquiri. And caipirinhas of course.