Paranubes

Artisanal, Wild Fermented White Cane Spirit from the Oaxacan Mountains of Mexico

Like many families in this high-altitude “cloud forest”—about six hours behind the wheel from Oaxaca City—Jose Luis Carrera and his forebears have been growing sugar cane and distilling their own cane spirit in their little traipse for generations. Until recently, this rural Mexican spirit—locally called Aguardiente de Caña—was seldom seen outside the village where it was produced. Indeed, Paranubes is one of the first cane spirits from Oaxaca to appear in the world’s finest bars.

Carrera grows four kinds of organic sugarcane in the forested hills of Huautepec province—Tipica, Negra, Dura and Criollo—each of which is used to make Paranubes. The cane is transported out by donkey and then driven to the distillery where the freshly pressed cane juice is fermented naturally in 1,100-litre pine vats. No water or cultivated yeasts are added; instead, a boiled bark mixture from native mesquite is used to kick-start fermentation—literally the only additive in the entire process. The fermented liquid is then transferred to a rustic, six-plate copper column still that’s heated over a fire made from used cane fibre.

It’s a silky, round and wonderfully complex rum, combining the funk and flavour of a top Rhum Agricole with an earthy, bucolic sense of place. In spite of its flavour punch, it’s a brilliant mixing rum and, one thing is for sure—our daiquiris at Bibendum Bar will never be the same again...

What really sets Carrera’s spirit apart from its contemporaries—Rhum Agricole and Cachaça—and his neighbours, is the use of a rolling fermentation, which adds layers of funk and complexity. Carrera’s vessels still only hold about 550 litres of liquid at a time, so instead of filling, emptying and refilling the fermentation vats every day as many producers do, Carrera takes only half the must out of the vat every morning for distillation. What this means is the vats are a mix of very old and very young fermenting liquids, since they are only entirely emptied three times a year. To taste, it’s silky, round and wonderfully complex, combining the funk and flavour of a top Agricole with elegance and a truffle-like finish.

The Range

Paranubes Ron
Paranubes Ron
Added

Paranubes Ron

This remarkable, artisanal cane spirit is handmade in the distillery, or trapiche, of José Luis Carrera, located in the lush and cool tropical environment of northern Oaxaca Mexico. Jose Luis’ family has been making aguardiente for at least three generations, with his father and grandfather teaching him the trade at a very young age. For the past 35 years, he has been producing an incredible, rich and fragrant spirit as one of many means to provide for his family. Carrera grows four different types of sugar cane on his 14 hectares: Caña Dulce, Caña Morada/Negra, Caña Dura, and Caña Amarilla/Criolla. His aguardiente batches are made from predominantly Caña Criolla, but inevitably have a blend of all four cane types. This is truly an artisanal operation; the cane is cut by hand and transported by donkey to the distillery, where the freshly pressed cane juice is fermented naturally in 1,100-litre pine vats, or tinas. A boiled ‘mother’ made from bark of the native Mesquite tree is used to kick-start fermentation—literally the only additive that touches the entire process. One of the things that really sets Carrera’s aguardiente de caña apart from his neighbours and other white cane spirit styles such as Rhum Agricole and Cachaça, is the use of rolling fermentation, which adds layers of funk and complexity. Jose Luis maintains a continuous fermentation, distilling only half of a single fermentation vat every morning and refilling it in the afternoon—the remaining active tepache inoculates the new liquid and the fermentation in the tina never stops! Our buyers were blown away by Jose Luis Carrera’s stunning, farm-to-bottle ‘Mexican Agricole’. This is right up there with the finest spirits we’ve tried from Mexico and as far as white cane spirits go, from anywhere! On merit alone, it deserves a place in every quality bar. It’s a silky, round and wonderfully complex aguardiente de caña, combining the funk and flavour of a top Rhum Agricole with an earthy, bucolic sense of place. In spite of its flavour punch, it’s a brilliant mixing Ron and one thing is for sure—our daiquiris at Bibendum Bar will never be the same again...*Australian legislation stipulates that if a product is to be labelled as “rum” it must be aged in wood for two years. This means, in Australia, we have to use the word Ron.

Our buyers were blown away by Jose Luis Carrera’s stunning, farm-to-bottle ‘Mexican Agricole’. This is right up there with the finest spirits we’ve tried from Mexico and as far as white rums go, from anywhere! On merit alone, it deserves a place in every quality bar. It’s a silky, round and wonderfully complex rum, combining the funk and flavour of a top Rhum Agricole with an earthy, bucolic sense of place. In spite of its flavour punch, it’s a brilliant mixing rum and, one thing is for sure—our daiquiris at Bibendum Bar will never be the same again... *Australian legislation stipulates that if a product is to be labelled as “rum” it must be aged in wood for two years. This means, in Australia, we have to use the word Ron.

Paranubes Ron
Paranubes Ron
Added

“In a simple Daiquiri, the rum shines with personality. On its own, the spirit yields aromas of mint and ripe apricot, and the flavor bursts with fresh cane juice, a rich, silky texture, and a sweetness akin to confectioner’s sugar. The rum’s funky character lands somewhere between the grassiness of a cachaça and the ruggedness of rhum agricole. But while it bears resemblances to both, Paranubes is in a category all its own—a clear expression of the place where it originates.” Imbibe Magazine

Spirit/Bar Product of the Year: Mixology Bar wards 2020

Wine & Spirit Magazine 2017 Spirit of the Year

Country

Mexico

Primary Region

Oaxaca

Availability

National

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