Reviews / Balam Churique
Review · · by The Editors
Balam Churique
Chihuahua lechuguilla – a northern agave rarely exported
Score: 3.5/5 agaves
- Producer: Balam
- Region: Madera, Chihuahua
- Agave: Lechuguilla
- ABV: 47%
- Price: $70 ($$)
Verdict
A legitimate and unusual release. Lechuguilla is a Chihuahua northern-agave species that's genetically closer to sotol than to Oaxacan mezcal agaves – the distillate reads more like a sotol-mezcal crossover than either category alone. Balam's Chihuahua sourcing at 47% delivers a spirit few US drinkers have encountered. Category-edge work for northern-agave completists. Community average matches. For drinkers building regional vocabulary beyond the Oaxaca-Jalisco-Durango triangle.
Lechuguilla distillation is its own project
Tasting notes
Nose: Dry grass, hot stone, warm earth
Palate: Lean and northern. At 47%, a different agave family entirely from angustifolia
Finish: Cooling, dry – long
The bottom line
For northern-agave completists
Where to buy online
We found this bottle at 1 US retailer. Prices and stock vary – click through to check.
- Old Town Tequila – $70