AZUL
Aged 20 years in glass, this single distilled raicilla made from Tequilana is truly a rare opportunity. The end of the 20th century saw a major surplus in Agave Tequilana Weber Azul. In raicilla country (Sierra Occidental, Jalisco) there were many farmers of Tequilana with fields of mature agave but no market to sell them. Don Guelo had a campesino friend that offered him his surplus Tequilana - all he had to do was harvest it. He had as much blue weber that he could handle at his little taberna and he made around 5000 liters of single distilled raicilla. In his region Agave Maximiliana is king, which made it difficult to sell his raicilla azul. It sat in glass, evolving in a unique way until La Venenosa had the good fortune of bringing it back to market.
MAESTRO
Don Margarito “Don guelo” Aguirre
MAGUEY (AGAVE)
Weber Azul (A. Tequilana)
VILLAGE
La Estancia, Sierra Occidental,
OVEN / FUEL
Adobe / black oak
MILL
By hand
FERMENT
Wild (with bagasso)
DISTILLATION
1x in alembic of stainless steel
NOTES
Aroma – clay, sweet potato, pine tree
Taste - wheat, honey, quince, oxidized wine
Texture - fresh and mineral with a long, slightly bitter finish
ABV / LOT / VOL
41.8% / Lot 1 / 15 garrafon (carboy), U.S. allocation 126 bottles
Harvest
When the agave for Azul were harvested, the price of blue weber was so low that Don Guelo didn't even have to pay for them - he just had to get them out of the earth.
Cook
An above ground adobe oven and black oak was used to cook the agave for Azul.
Agave
Agave tequilana weber is known by most of us as the agave used in tequila production. This rare raicilla is 100% blue weber. This photo is for representation only.
Mill
Azul was milled by hand, likely with mallets and machetes.
Ferment
Azul was fermented with wild yeast, but the vat type is actually forgotten with time.
Distill
Single distilled in stainless steel
