
Villa Lobos Plata
Villa Lobos · Fábrica Santa Rita, Amatitán, Jalisco, Mexico
A brilliantly focused Highland blanco from a legendary distilling family — quiet in its presentation but razor-sharp on the palate, and a benchmark for what unadorned agave clarity can achieve.
Nose
Bright cooked agave leads, edged with lime zest, wet river stone, and a faint whisper of white pepper and fresh cut grass.
Palate
Clean and precise — sweet roasted agave fibers, green apple skin, cracked black pepper, and a saline minerality that keeps everything taut and focused.
Finish
Medium-length, dry and herbaceous, with lingering citrus pith, mineral coolness, and a peppery snap that fades slowly.
- Agave
- 100% Blue Weber Agave (Agave tequilana), highland-grown in Arandas
- Production
- Slow-cooked in traditional masonry ovens, milled with roller mill, open-air fermentation with wild and cultivated yeasts, double-distilled in copper pot stills.
- Region
- Arandas, Los Altos, Jalisco, Mexico
- Cooking Method
- Slow-cooked in traditional masonry ovens, milled with roller mill, open-air fermentation with wild and cultivated yeasts, double-distilled in copper pot stills.
- NOM
- NOM 1139
- Additives Free
- Yes
Cocktail Suggestion
The Blue Hour — 2 oz Villa Lobos Plata, 0.75 oz fresh lime juice, 0.5 oz blanc vermouth, 0.25 oz agave syrup, 2 dashes celery bitters. Shake with ice, strain into a chilled coupe, garnish with a lime coin and a single cracked peppercorn.
Food Pairing
Grilled octopus with smoked paprika, olive oil, and lemon over white beans.
Crafted at La Alteña by the Camarena family — the same Arandas dynasty behind Tapatío and Ocho — Villa Lobos is the personal project honoring their storied lineage, made with slow-cooked highland agave and traditional roller-mill extraction.
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