Leblon is a cachaca (Brazilian sugar-cane-based rum) that’s aged 3-6 months in used cognac barrels in France. The last part has always been a confusing point to cachaca consumers. Or at least to me. If it’s aged in France, how can it be called cachaca?
Last night I had dinner at Jardiniere with Gerry Schweitzer, COO of Leblon. He explained that the regulations on cachaca state that in order to be called cachaca it must be grown and distilled in Brazil, but can then be bottled elsewhere. (Among other rules.) This is also the case with many French wines, but in contrast to tequila for example, which in order to be called 100% de agave must be produced and bottled in the region of origin.
Finally, an answer to that nagging question. But why?
Schweitzer explained that it was less expensive to do it this way than to age and bottle it in Brazil, due (largely) to taxes on importing the empty bottles into the country to be filled. Brazil wants Brazilian bottles used and these are protective tariffs.
That said, Leblon is now moving over to aging some of the product in Brazil as well as in France, and I believe they’ll eventually be doing it all in Brazil.
Labels: cachaca
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