El Caballito Cerrero Blanco Agave Azul (750ml / 40%)

Though not technically certified as either tequila or mezcal, this may be as close as we come today to the unique spirit that made ‘Vino de Mezcal de Tequila’ famous in the late 19th Century.  The second exported batch from the legendary Santa Rita Fabrica uses 100% Agave Azul (Agave tequilana), also known as Blue Weber, the only variety certified by the CRT for use in modern tequila.  Agave hearts are cooked in the same historic brick ovens the family has used since 1873. Released only as a Plata, or Silver, under the designation Destilado de Agave, this bottle is both delicious and historic. One taste reveals why this distillery is consistently among the most highly rated tequila producers in Jalisco without  bearing the actual word “tequila” on their label.

El Caballito Cerrero was created in 1950 by Don Alfonso Jimenez Rosales and translates to "The one that doesn't need horseshoes”. The name suggests some tension as Don Alfonso founded El Caballito Cerrero when he left Tequila Herradura, a company of which he was a founding partner.

Producing it it in the Santa Rita factory built in 1873 by his father-in-law Maximiano Hernandez Orozco, his son Claudio continued to produce tequila Caballito Cerrero until his death and it is not until 2018 that his descendants (the 15th generation of “vino mezcal” producers) took the decision, under the premise of always respecting the values of the agave and maintaining a full identity, to cease the use of the word tequila in order to produce "Caballito Cerrero" as an agave distillate.

AROMA: It is loaded with fruity, jammy and floral notes. Big agave aroma with a distinct punch of peach. A hint of citrus and dill. Cooked artichoke hearts.
TASTE: Zingy brown spices, oily brown sugar coating the mouth with pepper and alcohol making an appearance too. Still tons of fruit, and a hint of a funky cellar. Finish: All of the above treats, plus pepper heat and lingering almond notes.
BARREL: Unaged
ENJOY: with the best of them. Simply unbelievable.

The Jimenez family maintains absolute respect for the quality of the 100% agave product that they produce, using only mature agaves of the Amatitán region, having productions with Blue Agave Tequilana Weber and with Agave Angustifolia as their ancestors did. Caballito Cerrero is the result of the knowledge acquired by the Jimenez family through fifteen generations of producers of vino mezcal, tequila and agave distillate, the geographical conditions of the Santa Rita factory and the effort of a family to stay true to their convictions and traditions

This legendary, but tiny distillery in Amatitan, El Caballito, has constantly and historically been regarded as one of Mexico's top distilleries, but due to it's complicated relationship with the CRT (regulatory board of tequila), El Caballito has had trouble getting its spirits certified. The family made the decision to cease calling their product tequila, in defiance of the industrialization of the category, and to respect the agave distillation traditions within the Amatitán region where Caballito Cerrero is made. The Jimenez family uses only mature agave, including both Azul, or Blue Weber (A. tequilana) and other varieties such as Chato (A. angustifolia), just as their ancestors have for fifteen generations.

This elusiveness has led their products to reach legendary status with aficionados worldwide.