ArteNOM 1123 Historico Blanco

ArteNOM Selección de 1123 Blanco Histórico is a distinctive, additive-free blanco from Destilería Cascahuín (NOM 1123) in El Arenal, Jalisco, made by the Rosales family with lowland (Los Valles) agave that tends to show an earthier, more vegetal, peppery profile. What makes it “Histórico” is that after distillation it’s barrel-conditioned for about 21–28 days in ex–brandy casks that previously held Oaxacan mezcal, a throwback to an old-school practice of briefly conditioning high-end blancos; that short rest adds a faint straw tint and a subtle thread of oak-and-smoke complexity without turning it into a reposado. On the nose and palate you can expect roasted pineapple, warm butter, baking spice, smoked pepper and cider, with a viscous, spicy mid-palate that hits cinnamon, black pepper, sweet potato, vanilla, licorice, almond and a touch of hardwood smoke, finishing dry, peppery, and layered; it’s bottled at 43% ABV (86 proof), so it stays punchy enough to sip neat while also making a killer elevated margarita or ranch water.