Reviews / Real Minero Tequiliana
Review · · by The Editors
Real Minero Tequiliana
Tequilana-weber out of clay – the agave you thought you knew, unfamiliar
Score: 3.5/5 agaves
- Producer: Real Minero
- Maestro: Edgar Angeles
- Region: Santa Catarina Minas, Oaxaca
- Agave: Tequilana
- ABV: 50%
- Price: $200 ($$)
Verdict
Tequilana-weber is the agave almost everyone in the category agrees not to use, because tequila's column-still industrial frame has claimed it. Real Minero ran it through clay pots instead, and the result is neither tequila nor the mezcal you expect from Santa Catarina Minas. It's a thought experiment more than a keeper, but Edgar Ángeles's work is visible. Derrumbes and Cuentacuentos have done similar heretical experiments; this is Real Minero's.
Blue agave in clay is a different conversation than blue agave in column
Tasting notes
Nose: Wet stone over cooked agave – stone, pineapple rind, green pepper
Palate: Medium-weight at ~50%, tequilana in clay pot reading as cleaner and more mineral than the blue-agave-in-column-still you've had. No consensus on this one; our read is 3.5 because it's a compelling experiment rather than a revelation
Finish: Limestone, dry – medium-long
The bottom line
Buy for curiosity – not for your regular pour