What is Raicilla?
Agave spirits made with traditional process, have a deeper connection with the place and the people and, in accordance with the spirits trends for 2022, informed consumers are going to start looking for these kind of products. People want to experience products with “soul and story” and Raicilla as “new agave spirit” fits with this profile expectation of authentic products with tradition. So, you should be aware of what is coming and understand why Raicilla is so special and different to other agave spirits.
In 2019 Raicilla obtained its Designation of Origin and the Mexican official publication described Raicilla as “a spirit with aromas and flavours originated from the variety of maguey used and from the production process. Raicilla qualities are by the type of soil, topography, climate, water, style of the distiller (maestro raicillero), alcohol by volume, yeast and other factors that define the character and sensory perception of each Raicilla.” This definition recognizes the importance or “terroir”, raw material and tradition in the production process of Raicilla to obtain its characteristics flavours and its own identity
In reference to “terroir”, it describes the environmental conditions that define the product quality:
- Mountains and semi-arid
- A minimum altitude of 1401 meters above sea level
- Average rain fall of 1024 mm per year
- Average temperature of 20.2 C
- Rocks: granite and volcanic rock with elevated content of silex (Igneous rocks)
- Nature: temperate rainforest, temperate coniferous forest, humid subtropical and semi-arid
The law protects 16 regions from the state of Jalisco and 1 from the state of Nayarit.
Regarding raw material, any agave or maguey wild or cultivated, is allowed; except for Blue Agave Tequilana Webber (sic) which is exclusive for Tequila production. All the agave must be grown inside the geographical authorized area. Nevertheless, the most commonly used agave are:
- Agave maximiliana Baker, agave inaequidens Koch and agave valenciana (in the mountains)
- Agave angustifolia Haw and agave rodhacantha (in the coast)
These agave varieties establish two types of Raicilla: Raicilla de la Sierra (Raicilla from the mountains) and Raicilla de la Costa (Raicilla from the coast). They are easily differentiated because of the flavour profile of each agave variety and because of the environmental conditions.
Relating to the process production, there are three categories. They are likewise Mezcal’s categories and the division is based on the different equipment employed during the process.
Raicilla:
- Cooking: pressurised steam oven (+RA/+RTA)*
- Crushing: mechanical milling machine (+RA/+RTA)*
- Fermentation: stainless steel tank (+RA/+RTA)*
- Distillation: continous column still and column still (+RA/+RTA)*
Artisanal Raicilla:
- Cooking: (=RTA)*
- Crushing: shereder (+RTA)*
- Fermentation: (=RTA)*
- Distillation: pot still or clay pot still directly heated with flames, still head made with copper or stainless steel, with a maximum capacity of 500 lt. The process may include agave fibers.
Ancestral Tradition Raicilla:
- Cooking: roasting pit or brick steam oven
- Crushing: hand mash or tahona
- Fermentation: inside holes made in stone, soil or tree trunk, brick tanks, wood or clay tanks and leather. The process must include agave fibers
- Distillation: clay pot still directly heated with firewood and still head made with clay or wood. The process must include agave fibers
*(+RA) Adding the tools used in Artisanal Raicilla. (+RTA) Adding the tools used in Ancestral Traditional Raicilla. (=RTA) The same tools than are used in Ancestral Traditional Raicilla.
Raicilla is classified by its post distillation process:
- Young, white or silver: no post-distillation operations
- Matured in glass: more than 12 months in glass vessels
- Reposado or gold: 2 to 12 months in wood barrels
- Aged: more than 12 months in wood barrels
- Abocado with: ingredients directly added to create flavours
- Distilled with: only in Ancestral Traditional Raicilla and it has an additional distillation with natural ingredients to add flavours
In comparison with other Designations of Origin of Mexican spirits, Raicilla’s Designation of Origin does not define some aspects such as the natural or artificial additives allowed to “abocar”; and it does not refer with other official laws about safety or labelling. Nevertheless, this is the first Mexican regulation that considers the “terroir” as the principal influence to determinate products characteristics. This represent a first step to the recognition of natural and human factors as vitals elements to get a quality spirit and the importance of their preservation. So, maybe the others should include it, too.
References:
Agavache Blog: What you should know about the new designation of origin raicilla, https://agavache.com/what-you-should-know-about-the-new-designation-of-origin-raicilla/
DO Raicilla: https://dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5564454&fecha=28/06/2019
COCKING, Lauren «Like Tequila and Mezcal?Try Raicilla.