Avua Still Strength Cachaca (75cl, 45%)

A Brazilian cachaça from Avua, bottled at still strength and undiluted at 45% ABV in a 750ml bottle. It is made from single-estate hand-cut sugarcane, double-distilled in a traditional copper alembic pot still and rested in stainless steel, so it is unaged. It was launched in 2017 as one of the first higher-proof cachaças in the US. The cane is grown pesticide-free and ground with a waterwheel at Fazenda da Quinta, north of Rio. Fermentation takes under 24 hours with wild yeasts. The spirit is bold and crisp, with vegetal and banana notes, a black-pepper edge, and funky banana, lychee and ginger, with a white-pepper finish.