Estancia Raicilla Agave Spirit (750ml)

Bartenders with a passion for hard-to-get spirits will have Mexico's other agave specialty on their shortlist. Raicilla (pronounced "rye-see-ya"), is another tradition from the Mexican state of Jalisco, illicitly distilled by and for the locals for centuries. Now it's being commercialised. Sometimes referred to as "Mexican Gin", partly because of its lifted aromatics, just like mezcal and tequila, Raicilla starts out with agaves, though both mezcal and tequila preference different varieties. The method of cooking the plant further distinguishes each.

Rio Chenery of Estancia Distillery elaborates. Raicilla comes in two types: “…de la costa (of the coast) and de la sierra (of the mountains). Most of the major producers are de la sierra, and the designation is further broken down into two roasting techniques. Pit-roasted agave produces a smokier taste, similar to Oaxacan mezcal, and clay-roasted agave gives the raicilla a cleaner, more herbal characteristic, not unlike a strong gin. Some of the clay-roasted raicillas even have cheesy or grassy undertones."

Most tasters find Raicilla's flavour falls somewhere between tequila and mezcal. Estancia highlights the floral characteristics of the wild Maximiliana agave, aka Lechuguilla. Other notes to look out for include hibiscus, plum and pineapple. 40% Alc./Vol.