Sea, sand and whisky….Brazilians love to drink the golden nectar as the latest SWA figures for Scotch whisky exports have shown, with the country ranked at number 7 globally in 2024. Brazil’s Whisky Journey has now taken a further step forward with the launch of Lunatic Asylum, the first Independent Bottler based in the country. Created by Pedro Paiva and Rafael Nardi and launched initially at the end of 2024, this partnership is looking to bring a new approach to whisky in Brazil.
Pedro is behind the innovative Alba Destilaria in Monte Belo do Sul, a wine town in the south of Brazil, whilst Rafael is known as Barman de Apartamento, a cocktail and spirits educator spreading knowledge throughout the country, both face to face and online.
Their vision is to hand select barrels from Brazilian whisky distilleries, such as Union Distillery in Bento Gonçalves, before experimenting with different cask finishes, taking advantage of the faster maturation process due to the angel’s share (annual evaporation rate) being at 5-6% in Brazil compared to 1-2% in Scotland and the proximity to local Brazilian wineries in the Serra Gaúcha region to source extremely fresh casks.
They can effectively collect the casks from the winery and fill them with whisky on the same day, something not possible in Scotland for example.
The Lunatic Asylum independent bottlings are released with a high ABV (54% is the maximum the Brazilian legislation allows currently), natural colour and non-chill filtered.
For more information on Union Distillery – click on blog post: Union Distillery, a Hidden Whisky Gem in Brazil
When discussing the future of their joint whisky project, both Rafael and Pedro are already distilling their own whisky to be released at a future date. In the meantime, they are introducing more Brazilians to the concept of independent bottlings, so familiar to those living in Scotland and Europe more generally, but not so common in South America.
Crystal Mountain – Lunatic Asylum Release #001
The first release by independent bottlers Lunatic Asylum was called Crystal Mountain, named after the aforementioned song by band Death. This was a 11 year old single malt whisky (referred to as ‘Whisky Puro Malte‘ in Brazil) distilled in 2013 at Union Distillery’s original distillery in Veranópolis and fully matured in 1st fill ex-bourbon American oak casks in the Vale dos Vinhedos.
Non-chill filtered and natural colour with a 54% abv.
250x 70cl bottles were released at the end of 2024 (now sold out).
Tasting Notes: fruity with notes of peach, freshness and the impact of the cask coming through. The finish left an aftertaste of an old Calvados.
Rafael Nardi is also reported to have said that “…the whisky produced by Union Distillery in 2013 (at their previous site in Veranópolis) is different to the one being produced at their Bento Gonçalves distillery now as the stills were smaller and had a different shape, with the lyne arms going down and with the use of worm tubs. This meant that the previous distillate had a different characteristic, being more robust and sulphurous in style.”
Golden Mouth of Ruin – Lunatic Asylum Release #002
Their second release was called Golden Mouth of Ruin and for this bottling, the Lunatic Asylum team selected a cask with a whisky that reminded them of a Ben Nevis single malt scotch whisky – very sulphurous with soy sauce and miso notes on the palate. This was a 6 year old single malt whisky, distilled in 2018 at Union Distillery and fully matured in 1st fill ex-bourbon American oak casks for 5 years with a cask finish over 13 months in 1st fill ex-Nebbiolo wine (grape used for Barolo, Amarone and Barbaresco wines) French oak casks. The casks were sourced from Vinhos Viapana in Flores da Cunha.
Non-chill filtered and natural colour with a 54% abv.
349x 70cl bottles were released at the start of 2025 (now sold out).
Tasting Notes: slight sulphurous note (Ben Nevis style) with pronounced wine notes, balsamic and red fruits. The combination with the fresh barrels bring different notes that brings this whisky closer to the world of Armagnac and Cognac, with fine tannins and a long finish.
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