Made in the traditional, artisanal manner unlike some of their competition . The entire process takes about 7-10 days depending on the weather and temperature as they first first must cook the pinãs in lave rock lined oven pits, crush them then slowly ferment them until they can be distilled.
Notes: This sotol is produced in Chihuahua, the traditional area for sotol. Sotol is the state drink ofChihuahua and has its own NOM ( the Mexican government version of appellation) The plant sotol, or dasylirion wheeler is found abundantly in Northern Mexico and also in the Southwest of the United States (mainly used for landscaping due to its little need for water). It takes about 5-7 years for a sotol plant to reach maturity and 1 plant yields roughly 1 bottle of sotol. So this will never be a really mass produced product or commonly available. They wildcraft the sotol and every part is used for something. The stalk is made into walking sticks and the kiote (fibers) can be woven into baskets.
Made in the traditional, artisanal manner unlike some of their competition . The entire process takes about 7-10 days depending on the weather and temperature as they first first must cook the pinãs in lave rock lined oven pits, crush them then slowly ferment them until they can be distilled.
Appearance: Clear as molten glass in the bottle: it is a beautiful thing. On
swirling it leaves a very light coating on the glass which belies its viscosity sitting in the glass it looks like a small puddle of sap or nectar. Quite a striking contrast to most clear spirits such as vodka.
First Impression: smoky, phenolic (iodine), some savory, lime, citrus, green pepper Then a pineapple smell starts to develop and some sweetness as it aerates a bit.
Taste: Smoky in a strangely charming, slightly slippery and sweet way with leather, tobacco, oak, alkali notes. Sweetish, earthy and savory notes with a green pepper vegetal taste and mouthfeel with lime, pineapple citrus and salt. All these with wisps of mesquite/creosote smoke notes , some roasted pepper notes also.
Drinks:I think however that there are some definite possibilities for substituting this for scotch or certainly mezcal in some cocktails to create a whole new family of cocktails, but there are also very unique flavors and mouthfeel that will make this an exciting new ingredient for mixologists. Multicolored paper label with line drawing portrait of the founder on a clear glass whiskey bottle shape with slightly bulbous neck. Black screwcap closure and neck wrap finish the package.
Cigars: A nice full-bodied cigar.
Bottle: Multicolored paper label with line drawing portrait of the founder on a clear glass whiskey bottle shape with slightly bulbous neck. Black screwcap closure and neck wrap finish the package.
Final Thoughts: A very subtle spirit with lots of complexity and layers of flavor
Nicely done and a pleasure to drink.
Website: http://www.doncucosotol.com/index2.htm
Fast loading with a display of all the Sotol products they make. Basic information and pictures of each one, Rather basic, but functional. They spent the money on what is inside the bottle, and not slick web page programming.
