Siembra Valles Ancestral Tequila Batch 11

I learned about this product and wondered why a blanco tequila would be so expensive. My curiosity got the better of me and I bought some. All I had to do was open the bottle and smell. The aroma is huge and rich. This is like nothing I've experienced in a blanco. It is definitely worth the expense for sipping or high quality cocktails.

Smoky mezcal, cooked agave, it stayed in my palate. I’m amaze with the work of this spirit. I will always have in my bar.

POne of my favorite sipping tequilas of all time. Pure Weber Blue but made more in the style of a mezcal with the pit ovens. This is a must have in any agave collection. Amazing!

The intent behind this product was to recreate older methods of tequila production by pit roasting the agave, hand mashing the roasted pinas in a wooden canoe with mallets, which is very labor intensive and the use of a hybrid wood and copper, filipino style still. The expectation would be that this would have the potential for something approaching Legendary status. The actuality is something that falls short of realizing that potential. This mezcal de vino is bottled at just above 100 proof and has all the usual Siembra Azul/Valles information on the label i.e. agave harvest location, length and method of roasting and fermentation, etc. Quite a bit of video information is also available at www.siembraspirits.com and it worth watching to understand the effort and care that were expended to create this unique product. As to the distillate itself, there is a fair amount of smoke evident on the nose as would be expected from the careful pit roasting and that while pleasing to sip, I find it to be a little too sweet, which surprised me and quite singular in it's flavor profile considering the methods used in production. I expected more complexity in the actual spirit itself that just isn't there for me. I have taken away 1 star as a result. Overall I feel this is an experience for a seasoned tequila and mezcal drinker and should be experienced but I don't know that a novice to either will be able to appreciate the obvious effort and care invested in bringing this to market. Recommended with qualifications. The rest of the Siembra Azul or Siembra Valles lineups get a big thumbs up from me.