If you were to choose five agave spirits to try before you die, what would they be? We’ve tried to make that decision easier by delivering our own list of some of the finest examples Mezcal, Tequila and even Sotol on the market today.

After extensive debate, we believe the answer lies somewhere within stone mills, dead people, Chihuahuas, smuggling and chickens…naturally.

Fortaleza Tequila Blanco – 40% abv

Fortaleza Tequila (sold under the name Los Abuelos in Mexico) is made from 100% estate grown blue agave from the foothills of Jalisco. Only harvesting agave between 7-8 years of age, the cut piñas are then cooked in an old brick oven for thirty-six hours before extracting the agave syrup using the centuries old technique of a stone mill – known as Tahona.

The final result, packaged in a locally hand-blown glass bottle, is a Tequila of impressively smooth character yet with a complex, vegetal agave flavour reminiscent of the traditional techniques behind it.

[Visit – www.tequilafortaleza.com]

KAH Tequila Reposado – 55% abv

Packaged in the very cool, hand painted Dia de los Muertos skull bottle (a 3,000 year-old Meso-American ritual in honour of the dead), KAH is one of the few occasions when creative packaging is exceeded by the contents within.

KAH Tequila’s (meaning life in ancient Mayan) are produced from only 100% pure Blue Agave hand selected by Master Jimadores (harvesters) and fully certified as organic and Kosher. While available in Blanco, Reposado or Añejo, each presented in alternatively painted skulls, the Reposado is decidedly unique having been matured for 10 months in French limousine barrels and bottled at a cask strength of 55% abv.

The final result is a bold, sipping Tequila completely unique to the catagoury and best treated with a touch of water to open up the full flavour.

[Visit – www.kahtequila.com]

Hacienda de Chihuahua H5 Sotol Extra Añejo – 38% abv

Produced from 100% wild harvested Sotol (part of the Ruscaceae plant family), this highly unique spirit deserves mention despite ongoing debate about whether is should be regarded as an agave spirit or not.



Sotol (aka Desert Spoon) is the state drink of Mexican provinces Chihuahua, Durango and Coahuila where the plant is endemic. Harvested and produced in the same way as Tequila and Mezcal, Sotol – despite taking over twice as long to mature for harvesting than Agave – delivers a piña of equally rich and starchy composition.

Hacienda de Chihuahua have re-enlivened this 500 year old spirit in premium fashion. Fermented using French Champagne yeast, the H5 Extra Añejo is matured for a huge five years in new French oak barrels delivering a complex native Mexican spirit to rival that of the finest Cognac and aged Malts. [Visit – www.sotol.com]

Ilegal Mezcal Anejo – 40% abv

In a world where Tequila dominate the agave spirit market, Ilegal Mezcal is an example of a brand looking beyond traditional techniques to produce a spirit of outstanding pedigree.

Beginning in 2009, the partners behind Illegal Mezcal consist of Australian Stephen Myers (ex Guatemala stranded bartender turned Mezcal addict) and Antigua bar owner John Rexer of Café No Sé. Beginning their partnership smuggling Mezcal into Guatamala from Oaxaca, Mexico the duo sold and stocked their collection out of a hidden bar inside Café No Sé accessible behind a battered fridge door. Eventually deciding to put their passion to better use, they teamed up with a distiller from Oaxaca and Illegal Mezcal was born. And Añejo is simply awesome.

Each bottle is hand numbered after being made almost entirely from Espadin Agave roasted in traditional pits covered with brush to deliver a rich smoky flavour. The fully roasted piñas are then crushed by a horse-drawn stone Tahona wheel before being naturally fermented using airborne yeast and batch distilled for greater control. The final spirit is matured for 13 months in both American and French oak casks.

[Visit – www.ilegalmezcal.com]

Del Maguey Pechuga Mezcal – 49% abv The Del Maguey was founded in 1995 by Ron Cooper and has arguably helped bring Mazcal out of the realm of the “bottled worm” and onto shelves where only the finest Tequila are sold. Initially known for his talent as an artist, Ron Cooper developed a taste for fine Mezcal and has since been on a journey to share the finest Mezcals otherwise overlooked by commercial wholesalers. Delivering a collection of seven Single Village Mezcals to date, each bottle represents a label painted by Ron in homage to the village of manufacture. Coming in at not just the most expensive of the range but possibly the most expensive Blanco Agave spirit ever (upwards of USD$250 a bottle), Pechuga is anything but ordinary. Beginning with an already double distille, 100% Minero Agave Mazcal, a third distillation is prepared by macerating wild apples and plums from the region with plantain, pineapples, almonds and even white rice. Most bizzar of all is the addition of a washed and skinned chicken breast (pechuga de pollo) which is suspended in the still above the new mixture during distillation. The addition of the chicken breast is said to supply a balance to the flavours from the fruit and help to soften the strong results of 49% abv. The final result is nothing short of incredible with the practice of techniques more commonly seen in the manufacture of gin, set to redefine the future of the Agave spirit. NB: Not suitable for vegetarians or relatives of Colonel Sanders www.mezcal.com/pechuga] [Visit – Also see; Five gins to try before you die] Five American whiskeys to try before you die]