Novo Fogo Chameleon (Cachaça)
Novo Fogo Chameleon is produced with fresh pressed sugarcane from the Morretes region of Brazil.
The distillery is located close to the coastal rain forest known as the Floresta Atlântica. After the cachaça is distilled it is aged for one year in used American white oak bourbon barrels that have been scraped and re-toasted. The spirit is then blended to 43 ABV and bottled without filtration.
Appearance/Presentation
The pear shape bottle is standard for the Novo Fogo line and is made from recycled glass as the neck wrap is also made of recycled material. The front of the bottle provides the basic product information with the batch number.
The bottle for this review is from batch:
L14315 LF with the official USDA organic logo in the bot tom right corner. The back label provides the details about product including that it is hand crafted and from a zero waste distillery.
The liquid in the glass has a pale gold hue that creates a razor thin ring around the glass that slowly thickens and spins off thick and thin legs that run quickly down the side of the glass.
Nose
The aroma of the cachaça delivers notes of melons and banana along with a touch of vanilla and cane grass.
Palate
On the palate, vanilla, mint and herby cane grass form the midline, while the fruit notes of banana and lime take the high notes.
The foundation is formed by the wood notes of allspice and ginger that linger in a long toasted oak finish that manifests with a little bitterness at the beginning with the mint taking over and lasting until the flavors fade.
Review
Novo Fogo Chameleon is a positive progression from the silver and gold expressions of the line.
For those familiar with the spirit you will find notes that remind you of the younger versions and how one year of aging has changed the spirit.
It makes me curious to see how this line will evolve over time and how a 5, 8 and even 10+ year products will taste.
-Review by Paul Senft-
My name is Paul Senft - Rum Reviewer, Tasting host, Judge and Writer. My exploration of
Paul Senft, rum reviewer for "Got Rum?" magazine
Rums began by learning to craft Tiki cocktails for friends. I quickly learned that not all rums are created equally and that the uniqueness of the spirit can be as varied as the locales they are from. This inspired me to travel with my wife around the Caribbean, Central America, and United States visiting distilleries and learning about how each one creates their rums. I have also had the pleasure of learning from bar tenders, brand ambassadors, and other enthusiasts from around the world; each one providing their own unique point of view, adding another chapter to the modern story of rum. The desire to share this information led me to create www.RumJourney.com where I share my experiences and reviews in the hopes that I would inspire others in their own explorations. It is my wish in the pages of “Got Rum?” to be your host and provide you with my impressions of rums available in the world market. Hopefully my tasting notes will inspire you to tr y the rums and make your own opinions. The world is full of good rums and the journey is always best experienced with others. Cheers!