La Venenosa Los Gigantes Espiritus de Jalisco Raicilla

Raicilla (pronounced RAI-SEE-YA) is a mezcal that has been produced in the state of Jalisco for over 400 years. In the 1780s artisans who crafted their mezcals adopted the name Raicilla to avoid a tax levied by the Spanish Crown. They convinced the tax collectors that Raicilla is not a mezcal and were able to avoid the tax.

Most people have little knowledge of Raicilla because the worlds most famous mezcal, Tequila, became so popular that it overshadowed the other mezcal production in the state of Jalisco. Jalisco offers a great diversity of agave species, second only to Oaxaca. For this reason, along with diverse terroir, equipment and technique, Raicillas offer an amazing journey of flavour and history.

La Venenosa Raicilla was created four years ago, by Chef Esteban Morales, to bring these hidden jewels to market. Esteban crisscrossed the state in search of the best producers in each region. The results today are 4 unique Raicillas made by 4 different Maestro Taberneros from 4 different regions of 4 different species of agave using 4 different techniques.

The Los Gigantes Raicilla is produced from an 880-kg Americanaagave plant, which was roasted in an adobe oven over black oak wood. After grinding and mixing with water, the aguamiel ferments with wild yeasts in oak vats, then is distilled in a single pot just once to retain as much character of the roasted agave as possible.