Raicilla — tasting notes & food pairings

Raicilla

Raicilla is a Mexican agave spirit from Jalisco on the Pacific coast, distilled from the roasted hearts of highland and coastal agaves, above all the wild Agave maximiliana, into a rustic, fruity and often funky distillate distinct from both tequila and mezcal; long made clandestinely as a country moonshine, it won its own protected Denominacion de Origen in 2019 and is usually bottled unaged at around 38 to 55 percent, rounding out the family of Mexican agave spirits.

Dry & cleanSpirit-forward

Markedly fruity and floral, raicilla leads with ripe tropical and citrus fruit and blossom over cooked, caramelised agave, green herbal and vegetal notes, wet stone and, in many artisanal batches, a wild funky or cheesy tang from the open ferment. It is generally less smoky than mezcal, being more lightly roasted, though a whisper of smoke and roasted earth can run beneath. The texture is dry and spirituous with a warming alcohol burn that can run from a soft 38 percent up to a fierce 55, and the finish is long and fruity with a peppery, cooked-agave sweetness and a lingering mineral funk.