Pasote Tequila Blanco

Pasote Tequila Blanco

Don Felipe Camarena's family has been distilling tequila in Jalisco since the early 19th century. After his ancestor's original distillery was destroyed and abandoned during the Mexican Revolution, Don Felipe switched gears, selling his prized blue agave to other distilleries. In 1937, he was finally able to open his own distillery, La Altea, which he passed down to his grandson, Felipe J. Camarena. The younger Felilpe was trained as a civil engineer, and many years later in 2007, Felipe followed in his father's footsteps by opening a distillery of his own: El Pandillo. At El Pandillo, Felipe has constructed a series of original machines to optimize energy use and perfect the art of tequila-making. After harvest, Felipe roasts his agaves in a stone oven equipped with steam jets the jets ensure that the agaves are cooked as evenly as possible, cutting down on cooking time and increasing yields. Next, the roasted agaves are ground and pressed in two different machines (once again of Felipe's design) which extract sugars from the plants fibers, making everything more easily fermented into alcohol. Once distilled, the tequila is proofed with rainwater that is collected using a rooftop funnel which Felipe (unsurprisingly) installed himself. Handcrafted by Felip J. Camarena at El Pandillo, Pasote Tequilas pay tribute to the first agave distillers: the Aztecs. The Aztecs were some of the most ferocious fighters in history, and they often celebrated their victories by drinking the sacred agave plant. Pasote Blanco Tequila is bottled immediately after distillation. The tequila is marked by an herbaceous aroma of perfectly roasted agave, similar to celery root and lime. With an exquisitely soft mouthfeel, the palate opens with zesty citrus leading to a combination of salt, jicama, and taro root. The finish is long, clean, and ever so slightly prickly with white pepper. A minerality derived from the rainwater used during distillation anchors the overall taste of this tequila.