Review: Novo Fogo Silver Cachaca Bar Strength
It’s been seven years since we reviewed the core lineup from Cachaca from Novo Fogo. Back then we praised the Silver’s nose of tropical and citrus fruit, with cedar, mushroom, and fuel-like aromas. Today, we have an update on the spirit dubbed the “Bar Strength.” As the name suggests this variant is targeted for on-premise consumption with a longer and slimmer bottle more suitable for the well, a 1-liter size, and most importantly 6 more degrees of proof. Luckily I had a freshly opened bottle of the standard Silver at home, so jumped at the chance to compare the two. How does the new Bar Strength stack up?
On the nose the two share much in common. On both I get a mix of fruity qualities like underripe banana and citrus, a savory green olive-like quality and a vegetal note like a green pepper but without the spice. Although I found the fruit and green pepper notes to be more prominent on the Bar Strength, the savory note comes more to the foreground on the standard. Overall the nose on the Bar Strength is slightly preferable. On the palate, Bar Strength once again pulls slightly ahead with a fuller body and subtler, more pleasant finish.
If the standard Silver doesn’t have a place in your bar program then I wouldn’t seek out the Bar Strength. Although if you’ve enjoyed mixing with the Standard in the past there is little reason not to switch, as Bar Strength is a refinement on an already strong cachaca. Cheers to Novo Fogo for not reinventing the wheel with this one and simply making small improvements that bartenders will surely appreciate.
86 proof.
A- / $24 (wholesale)
Novo Fogo Silver Cachaca Bar Strength
$24
