Tasting

Even before the first bottle hit the open market, the Agave Spirit from Bowen had already won an award. At the Australian Distilled Spirit Awards in 2023, it took Gold and also the title of Alternative Spirit of the Year, the country's top honor for the best alternative spirit. The brand already carried its name back then, but wasn't yet selling anything. At the time, almost no one outside Mexico had heard of Australian Agave Spirit.

The only expression released so far is the First Harvest Blanco from Act of Treason. It's unaged, distilled from the farm's earliest harvests. Further releases from later, more mature vintages have been announced, expected once more of the over 600,000 plants reach harvest readiness.

An Agave Spirit like this is best tasted the way you'd taste a young Blanco: neat or with a splash of water, in a small glass that concentrates the aromas. Much the same way Mexico uses a copita for tasting. A caballito, the narrow glass meant for a quick shot, belongs more to the bar than the tasting room in Bowen.

Plans call for the farm itself to eventually get its own visitor center, where the journey from field to bottle can be traced firsthand. Already, curious travelers are making the trip to Bowen just for the farm. Until then, Act of Treason remains proof above all of one thing: a crystal-clear Agave Spirit can win a gold medal even without Mexican origins.