Germana Single Barrel Cachaça (Barrel 079-C/2001)

Built over 100 years ago, the Vista Alegre Ranch, producer of Germana Cachaça, is located around 64 km from Belo Horizonte. With its lands dedicated to banana and sugar cane plantations, there are some 300,000 banana trees and 15 hectares of sugar cane, all of which are planted without use of pesticides. The bananas are sold for food while the sugar cane is used in the annual production of Cachaça sold in Brazil and other countries around the world. At the sugar cane plantation, preservation of the local environment is important with the land being fertilized using the cane’s husk and the sugar cane harvested without use of crop burning. It is then washed and cleaned before being ground; a process which happens no later than 24 hours after the cane is harvested to preserve freshness. The fermentation of the cane broth is natural – using corn meal- and is carried out in large carbon steel vats, for a period of 12 to 24 hours. After this, the fermented broth is distilled in a copper still, whereby the “heads” and the “tails” are separated and eliminated. Using only the noble part of the distillate the “heart” – the Cachaça is then aged in balsamo and oak casks. Detailed on the label is the amazing view out from the Ranch’s balcony of the Serra da Baleia (Whale Sierra). Germana is immediately recognised by its distinctive bottle, hand-wrapped in banana husk and leaves. Germana is one of the most famous Cachaças in Brazil, the recipe stemming from a family tradition that began with the family’s patriarch, Sergio Caetano and since then relayed faithfully between generations. The name Germana is a homage to a venerable lady of the province who from her grocery store used to sell a “a good dose of Cachaça” to passers-by and local agricultural workers. The Germana Single Barrel, originates from casks personally chosen by the Caetano family’s master distiller Walter Caetano and Amathus because of their outstanding cachaça content. Distilled in 2001, then aged for a brief period in balsamo and then further in 200 litre oak casks before bottling in 2007.  This barrel project was probably one of the first single barrel cachaça bottlings for Zuma and Roka (Barrel B (5137-B) 01/2001 which Amathus originally shipped over together with three additional different bottlings from barrels C79, D25, E81 as illustrated in the photo attached. Now 16 years later, we invite you to discover for yourself, barrel 79C, a truly rare and unique expression of cachaça exuding quality. Steeped in the Germana heritage this is truly a artisanal cachaça from the heart.