Exploring Brazilian Single Malt Whisky: A First for The Whisky Boys
A few weeks ago, The Whisky Boys received seven samples of single malt whisky from Andre de Almeida from Inside The Cask Ltd. What made this parcel particularly exciting was that every bottle came from Brazil.
For both Nicola and I, this was completely new territory. We’ve tasted whiskies from all over the world, but Brazilian single malt whisky was a first.
The seven samples came from two distilleries: Lamas Distilaria and Union Distilaria.
The Line-up
Union Distilaria
Barley Wine Cask Finish | 46% ABV | Limited EditionMatured in bourbon oak casks for eight years before spending a further 18 months finishing in beer-seasoned oak casks.
PX Sherry Cask Finish “Extra Turfado” | 48% ABV | Limited Edition | Autograph Series”Extra Turfado”, meaning extra peated, was matured in bourbon oak casks for eight years and finished for 18 months in PX sherry casks.
Vintage 2005 | 48% ABVDistilled in 2005 and bottled in 2022, this is one of Union’s oldest releases. The distillery has since released a 20-year-old expression matured entirely in bourbon casks.
Lamas Distilaria
Rarus | 43% ABV | Double Cask Range Matured in bourbon casks for six years before being finished in American oak rum casks from the distillery’s own rum production.
Angico | 43% ABV | Limited EditionMatured in bourbon oak casks for six years and finished in native Angico wood casks.
Sassafras | 43% ABV | Limited Edition Matured in bourbon oak casks for six years and finished in native Sassafras wood casks.
Spirit of Brazil | 46.7% ABV | Limited Edition Matured in bourbon oak casks for seven years and finished in native Pau Brasil wood casks.
A big thank you to Andre for sending us these samples and giving us the chance to explore something completely different.
A Few Interesting Facts
A couple of things stood out straight away.
All of the whiskies are bottled at 75cl, which makes a nice change from the standard 70cl we’re used to seeing in the UK.
Lamas Distilaria is based in a hot, humid part of Brazil, where tropical maturation means the angel’s share sits at around 6% to 7% each year. Scotland’s angel’s share is approximately 1% to 2 % due to our mild, temperate climate.
Union Distilaria, on the other hand, is located in a region with a more Mediterranean climate, resulting in a lower rate of evaporation during maturation.
Union Distilaria was founded in 1984 and began producing whisky in 1992.
Lamas Distilaria was established in 2019 and, alongside its single malt range, also produces a blended whisky called Canem.
With seven samples sitting in front of me, choosing where to start wasn’t easy, but I eventually settled on two drams for an initial tasting.
Lamas Spirit of Brazil | 46.7% ABV
Colour: Polished teak.
Nose: Soft orchard fruits drizzled with peach schnapps, backed up by vanilla and honeyed sweetness.
Palate: Richer than the nose suggests, with notes of chocolate, raspberries, honey and buttery crumble topping. Just a drop of water brings out a lovely creamy texture, almost like panna cotta.
Finish: Medium in length, smooth and fruit-led.
Union Extra Turfado | 48% ABV
Colour: Copacabana sand.
Nose: Fruity and elegant, with a gentle burst of citrus. The peat is soft and slightly sweet, with vanilla sitting quietly in the background.
Palate: Sweet peat arrives first, followed by more citrus, vanilla and a touch of shaved coconut. I really enjoyed this one.
Finish: Long, aromatic and gently smoky, with the peat, fruit and vanilla lingering nicely.
Of the two, the Extra Turfado just edged it for me. I’d love to pour this into a blind tasting alongside a few peated Scotch and Irish whiskies and see how people get on.
Well, that was a grand wee tasting the drams freom Brazil were great and I would expect ,and hope, that they will be showingh up in trhe UK soon, they are good enough. In my opinion these drams could all stand up veery well gto some Scotch and world Whiskies.
Overall, this was a cracking introduction to Brazilian single malt whisky. Both drams had plenty of character and offered something genuinely different.
We’ll be working our way through the remaining samples over the coming weeks, and if these first two are anything to go by, Brazilian whisky is definitely a category worth keeping an eye on.
