Hacienda de Chihuahua Sotol Plata 38% 70cl

Hacienda de Chihuahua Sotol Plata is an unaged Sotol and the purest expression of this fantastic spirit.

Hacienda de Chihuahua was granted its own appellation in 2004 and is the top of not just the Sotol market (of whom there are 5 producers) but also the Mexican Spirit market. The distillery is in the town of Delicias (Spanish for delights) in the Chihuahua State. Sotol is a distilled spirit made from Dasylirion wheeleri (commonly known as Desert Spoon or, in Spanish, sotol), a plant that grows in the wilds of Northern Mexico and West Texas. It is known as the state drink of Chihuahua. Sotol is produced like the more common artisanal mezcals of central Mexico.

Local Chihuahua Indians first discovered Sotol’s magic intoxicating properties over 800 years ago. The Spanish used European distillation techniques to help enhance the purification process. Sotol is now beginning to achieve international recognition like its cousins, Mezcal and Tequila. The Desert Spoon takes approximately 15 years to mature and creates only one bottle of Sotol per plant. It typically grows on rocky slopes in the Chihuahuan desert grassland between 3000 and 6500 feet above sea level. Unlike the Agave, which flowers only once in their lifetime, Sotols produce a flower stalk each year.

Once the plant matures, it is harvested similar to Agave plants when making Mezcal or Tequila. The outer leaves are removed to reveal the centre core, which is taken back to the distillery. The core can then be cooked and/or steamed, shredded, fermented, and distilled. This fascinating spirit is triple distilled to achieve a high degree of purity. The still is a modified continuous still not dissimilar to those of the Armagnac region. The spirit comes off the still at 76% abv giving a perfect balance between maximum flavour and the elegance for which Hacienda de Chihuahua is becoming famous.

Hacienda de Chihuahua Sotol Plata and just “relaxes” briefly after distillation in stainless steel.