Destilado de Agave, Tequilana

• Destilado de agave produced by Estancia Distillery in La Estancia de Landeros, Jalisco
• Maestro Destilador Alfredo Salvatierra
• Distilled from 100% Azul aka Blue Weber (Agave tequiliana)
• Cooked in an adobe oven (akin to a pizza oven)
• Open-air fermented for two weeks in amphora clay pots
• Distilled twice using a traditional copper pot still
• A fresh and savory nose of celery, Asian pear, and Dan Dan noodles leads to aloe, chard, and underripe prickly pear on the palate with a finish of fresh lychee and a hint of muscat grape. Dynamic and enchanting.
• 43% ABV

Raicilla does not allow for the variety Agave tequilana in commercial productions, but it’s easy to see why maestro raicillero Alfredo Salvatierra would choose to distill it: Jalisco is fairly surrounded by the species. It is continuously fascinating to reframe the most widely consumed agave in the world under the unique lens of heritage distilling techniques, and Alfredo’s tequilana, like his raicilla, is a particularly approachable and crowd-pleasing example!

Tasting Notes

While the protected term ”raicilla” does not allow for the variety Agave tequilana (Azul, or Blue Weber) to be used in commercially certified production, it’s easy to see why maestro raicillero Alfredo Salvatierra would choose to distill it. Raicilla producers like Alfredo, working along the Western mountains and Pacific coast of Jalisco, are fairly surrounded by an agricultural landscape now dominated by the species, cultivated to meet the ever-increasing demand for tequila. Much like mezcaleros in numerous other states across the country who have been working with A. tequilana more and more in recent years, its distillation is a clear, pragmatic decision to make use of this easy agave at hand.

Which is great for us, agave enthusiasts of the world! It is continuously fascinating to reframe the most widely consumed agave under the unique lenses of varied heritage-distilling techniques.

Alfredo’s tequilana, like his raicilla, is a particularly approachable and crowd-pleasing example of this sub-category. Produced using the same methods as raicilla made from maximilliana—two days cooked in an adobe oven, clay-pot fermentation for two weeks, and copper pot distillation—this distinct batch also serves as a fascinating window into agave distillation in Jalisco beyond tequila’s modern industrialization.