Don Manny Anejo California Grown Agave Spirit Batch 01

Tequila has to be made in Mexico.  That is a fact, an internationally protected fact.  But what if you take the same Weber blue agaves (we're not going to get into how they got here) grown in Jalisco 1200 miles to Don Manny's backyard in Santa Ana, California, do you get something similar?  Yes and no.  The cooked agave sweetness, the minerality, and the citrus all come through but there is a boldness that is truly Californian.  Don Manny harkens back to the recipe his grandfather used to make raicilla - ~8yr old agaves, horno cooked, twice distilled -  applying it to his estate grown Weber blue agaves.  The result is both old and new, the bounty of California intertwined with the history of Mexico.

 

The anejo has a lovely balance of agave and barrel.  The lime citrus has softened to lemon, butterscotch emerges, and a really enjoyable burnt caramel stays with you till the end.