Bacanora Fiesta

My wife's family is from Sonora, Mexico - a northern state that specializes in flour tortillas and beautiful women.  They also make a fantastic agave spirit called Bacanora - a substance that I was only able to taste previously when my mother-in-law would smuggle it back during her visits.  There has been almost no Bacanora available in the United States and what has been available has been terrible.  Finally, thanks to the increased awareness for craft spirits, a fantastic, quality Bacanora is being imported to the states and we've jumped all over it.  This has been my nightly sipper for the past week, every day bringing new flavors and more enjoyment to my mouth.

Cielo Rojo Bacanora Blanco $42.99 - The finest of Sonora's traditional spirit, Cielo Rojo is made from the exquisite and rare Silvestre Agave, which is harvested in the wild, arid deserts of Sonora. These elusive plants grow on the steep canyons of the Sierra Madre Mountains, and after labor-intensive hand harvesting they're packed out on burro. This wild agave is then roasted in ovens carved out of the clay and rock soils of the Sonoran desert. After roasting, a slow fermentation is achieved with exclusively wild yeast before small batch distillation in small alembic pot stills. Bacanora spent the better part of the last century as contraband, but its tradition dates back centuries. Somewhere between Mescal and Tequila, Bacanora has truly its own style and Cielo Rojo is the finest available. Soft smoke mingles enticingly with this herbaceous spice. It's all held together by this forward agave fruit, which just begs you to take another sip. Certainly a must have for any agave lover, but smooth enough for any spirits drinker to appreciate.

-David Driscoll