Aging

In this region, Raicilla is drunk almost always young. The vast majority leaves the distillery as Blanco: clear, uncolored, with no contact with wood whatsoever. It goes straight from the cooling coil into the bottle, sometimes on the very same day.

Reposado exists here too, usually in small quantities. Operations around Mascota age it in used wooden barrels that previously held whisky, bourbon, or even tequila. The short aging gives the distillate a slightly yellow tint. It smooths the sharper edges of the young spirit without masking the agave flavor.

Añejo, or even Extra Añejo, remain the exception in the Sierra and along the coast. Most operations are too small to tie up barrels for years at a time. Demand for young, unaltered Raicilla is high anyway, especially among those seeking the original aroma of the mountain agave or the coastal agave. Brands like La Venenosa therefore continue to focus mainly on Blanco. Anyone looking for an aged Raicilla is more likely to find it in specialty shops in Guadalajara or Puerto Vallarta than in a village store in the Sierra.

The label must state which municipality and which agave species the Raicilla comes from, along with its category: Blanco, Reposado, or Añejo. Unlike tequila, there's no Mixto option here. Raicilla is always a distillate made from one hundred percent agave, no matter how long it spent in the barrel. If the label reads "artesanal," you know it means open fire, copper or clay still, no shortcuts.