Tequila “Yoowe” Palmilla, 0.7 L

Introduction

Sotol is a distillate obtained from the heads of the Dasylirion plant (a genus of North American asparagus plants) native to northern Mexico. The word “sotol” comes from the Nahuatl language and means “sweetness of the head”, it has been used by various local tribes since 205 BC. This plant is tolerant of extreme desert weather conditions of high temperatures and drought and typically grows on the rocky slopes of the pastures of the Chihuahua Desert at altitudes between 900 and 2000 meters above sea level. Dasilirion actually has more to do with onions and garlic, it’s not a real agave, but a yucca, which is why the drink made from it has such a unique taste. For 800 years, the Tarauimara have been producing sotol for their spiritual ceremonies led by their revered Shamon (Ono). “It” means “Father” in the Tarahumara language. Distillate “Ono” Sotol is named after the indigenous people of this land, their ancestral traditions and the amazing mountains of Sierra Tarahumara.

“Ono” Sotol is made from 100% Dasylirion Cedrosanum by hand by Gerardo Ruelas, a third-generation Maestro Sotolero, a member of a family that has been producing sotol for many years in the state of Chihuahua. From one pina (peeled core of the fruit) you can get only one bottle of Sotol “It”. For the manufacture of sotol, 12-15-year-old plants are used. When the yucca is ready to be harvested, the plant begins to secrete a substance similar to syrup or honey. The mature plant is cut down with axes and cleaned of thorny leaves, leaving only pins. Once in a shallow earthen oven, the pinas are roasted for about 3 days on willow and oak wood, then minced with axes and knives. The next stage is fermentation, which lasts from 5 to 6 days and takes place in concrete tanks.