Produced by Master Sotelier Don Gerardo Ruelas, Sotol Desierto is made from 18-22 year old, 100% wild-harvested Dasylirion leiophyllum harvested at low elevation in the Coyame Desert.
Cooked in shallow pits fueled by willow and oak, the plants are then shredded by axe and knife and open-air fermented for 5-7 days in pine wood tanks. Distilled twice in traditional copper pot stills.
The bright aroma displays lemongrass, Meyer lemon, new oak, and wet soil. The palate is gentle and mellow, with notes of wet clay, cacao, ripe fruit, delicate char, minerality, and sweet spice.
Sotol is a spirit made in Northern Mexico (traditionally in Chihuahua, Sonora and Durango), as well as parts of the Southwestern US, from a variety of plant also called sotol, or the “Desert Spoon” (family Dasylirion). It has sustained the people of the region for centuries, finding its way into food, medicine, religious ceremonies, and both fermented & distilled beverages. A shrub-like succulent that can be harvested anywhere from 7-22 years, it looks and grows similar to agave, yet unlike agave it can continue living and bloom again after harvest. The spirit is produced in a similar way to mezcal, whereby the sugar-laden heart of a mature plant is roasted in a shallow pit oven using indigenous wood, thus imparting a smoky flavor. As with mezcal, variety and terroir play important roles in the finished product.
