From the left: Rancho Tepúa Bacanora Blanco, Aconchi, Sonora, La Higuera Sotol, Aldama, Chihuahua and Yuu Baal Madrecuixe Joven Mezcal, Santa Maria La Pila, Oaxaca.
Spirit #1: The first spirit featured this week is La Higuera Sotol from Aldama, Chihuahua. The Mexican state of Chihuahua is located east of Sonora and south of New Mexico and Texas. The plant used for this spirit is a relative of agave called Dasylirion Wheeleri, more commonly known as ‘Desert Spoon’ or ‘Spoon Yucca.’ It used to be classified as agave, but due to a recent change in taxonomy, they veer off from each other at genus level. This spirit is very similar to an agave-based one on the palate. Although it has a lighter texture, it would be very hard to tell apart in a blind tasting. This elegant spirit is a little over 90 proof with aromas of unripe pineapple, green melon and spearmint.
Spirit #2: Next up is Rancho Tepúa from Aconchi, Sonora. This rancho owned by Roberto and Lupita Contreras Mayoral is nestled in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains. They use brick lined pits to roast the piñas with mesquite wood, which imparts a touch of smokiness. The agave used here is called agave pacifica, which is a bit smaller than most other agave with a 4 foot height and width on average.
Bacanora can only be made in the state of Sonora and was illegal for almost 80 years. The prohibition lasted from 1915-1992. Plutarco Elías Calles, the governor of Sonora who eventually became the President of México, felt that drinking bacanora was hedonistic. He was very religious and thought this highly profitable industry was out of control. He banned all bacanora production and went as far as hanging or shooting anyone who defied his orders. People continued to produce this spirit in hiding and it became known as “Mexican moonshine” and the “Secret of Sonora.” Once the popularity of tequila and mezcal took off, these old rules were abolished. Bacanora is slowly but surely making a comeback. This one had aromas of jalapeño, fresh cut green bell pepper and lime rind. It had a richer texture than the sotol, which seems to be the main differentiation between dasylirion wheeleri and agave based spirits.
Spirit #3: Yuu Baal Madrecuixe Joven Mezcal, from Santa Maria La Pila, Oaxaca. Mezcal can be made from 8 designated regions of Mexico, but Oaxaca is the most famous and most associated with high quality. Grupo Yuu Baal is a 100% Mexican owned company that features reputable mezcaleros from Oaxaca. This one is made by Alberto Ortiz using the madrecuixe plant, also known as agave karwinskii. This type of agave is not spherical like most, but tall and cylindrical, reaching up to six feet in height. The piñas are denser and drier, which impart more floral and vegetal notes when distilled. It was fermented with wild yeast and roasted in stone hornos (above ground ovens). The most potent aromas on the nose were clay pot and roasted peanut skin. It also had a light cologne smell. On the palate there was some jasmine, grass and subtle kiwi fruit. The intensity of the aromas on both nose and palate were high and the texture was full. This is a 96 proof spirit that goes down easy!
I also ended up tasting Sauza Silver Tequila for a comparison to the smaller production products. The aromas were not as complex, the alcohol harsher even though it’s only 80 proof and the texture was thinner. There was some interesting aroma happening…dried herbs, cotton candy and a lot of black pepper on the palate. Sauza is made with 51% blue agave and 49% other fermentable sugars. It was very obvious that this beverage was made with less agave and how much these plants can impart flavor in a spirit. That is the fun part about agave in general. Most spirits rely on purity (vodka), herbs (gin) or aging techniques (whiskey) to get flavor. But the agave provides all of it here and these products let it shine unadulterated. The smoky aspect of the bacanora and mezcal only heighten the experience of these interesting flavors.
I also brought up the issues regarding sustainabilty of blue agave clonal plantings for tequila production. Biodiversity is becoming a problem and disappearing due to high demands for agave. These plants are harvested before flowering to maintain inulin and energy in the piñas. If they were allowed to flower, some of that energy would be depleted. Bats are their natural pollinators and not allowing agave to flower is destroying the ecosystem. Trying to seek out ‘bat friendly’ tequila producers is essential for the survival of these amazing plants. Any tequila bottle with the bat friendly label devotes at least 5% of their plantings to flowering.
Supporting this project allows bats to continue thriving and pollinating agave plants naturally, which creates healthy diversity. It’s also worth eschewing agave nectar products. Agave are slow to mature plants and when harvested for nectar production, they are processed very young. It’s also marketed as a healthy sugar substitute, but nothing could be farther from the truth. It is 60% fructose and more similar to high fructose corn syrup than white sugar. Help sustain the life of these amazing species by banning agave nectar, seeking out bat friendly tequila and supporting traditional producers of mezcal, sotol and bacanora!