How Cazcanes Tequila Used a Repurposed Chevy Inline 6 To Make Its Latest Expression

(Photos: Cazcanes)

There are only so many ways distillers can process the agave piñas at the heart of our favorite tequilas. Among the upper echelon of especially tasty, additive-free brands on the market, agaves tend to be crushed to a pulp using either a tahona — a two-ton volcanic stone wheel — or the mechanized roller mill.

Cazcanes, which has historically opted for the latter, is reimagining the method with help from an unlikely source.

On Friday, the brand parted ways with industrialized tequila denomination for a limited-edition release dubbed Nuestras Raíces, Spanish for “Our Roots.” Created under the eye of third-generation maestro destilador Humberto Alvarado, the blanco is intended as a throwback to all things old-school. And not exactly in the ways you might expect. After agaves are slow-cooked in a custom-built autoclave, they’re chopped by hand with axes and processed through a shredder powered by a repurposed 1970s Chevy inline 6-cylinder engine.

Footage of the Frankenstein machine resembles a log of wood being processed through a sputtering woodchipper. Except, instead of wood, it’s tiny chunks of Blue Weber soon to be fermented, distilled and bottled.

Nuestras Raíces is the first release from Cazcanes that omits the word “tequila” from the label. The expression is instead dubbed “Destilado de Agave,” an umbrella term that’s picked up quite a bit of traction within the community over the past few years. Increasingly popular among names like NETA and Paquera, the moniker has become a calling card for distillers experimenting outside the purview of denomination and standard regulation within Mexico.

It’s a big jump for the brand, but Cazcanes doesn’t intend a total reinvention of the formula. Its flagship lineup will continue to be produced at the Tequilera Tap distillery, where Cazcanes has operated since early 2023. Nonetheless, Nuestras Raíces has been imagined from the ground up as a distinctly different spirit with an attitude and origin wholly its own.

Co-founder Jose Santillan told us that the release acts as a tribute to La Estancita, a jungle enclave between Tequila and Magdalena, Jalisco, where the batch was distilled.

“We call it Jugo de la Selva — Jungle Juice — because it reflects the wild, untamed character of the agave and the jungle that surrounds the small taberna where it’s made,” Santillan said. “Today, that spirit lives on through Humberto, who’s crafting this extremely limited batch of traditional agave spirit by hand, just as we did in the beginning.”

The destilado is said to balance bright aromas of fresh lime, cut grass, grilled vegetables and mint that give way to a palate of cooked agave, sea salt and ripe cantaloupe. On the finish, hints of agave sweetness, citrus and subtle minerality. A presale link is slated to go live on April 18, with bottles available at a suggested retail price of $109.99.

Official tasting notes aside, it’s unclear how far Nuestras Raíces will stray from Cazcanes’ usual flavor profile. The expression has been bottled at 47% ABV, more than a few notches shy of the brand’s No. 10 Still Strength Blanco found in many a collector’s cabinet. We, like many other reviewers, have noted that Cazcanes’ palate tends to lean salty, mineral-rich and abundantly agave-centric. Time will tell if the brand’s latest release provides more of the same or forges a new path.

Cazcanes Nuestras Raíces Tasting Notes, Per the Brand

Nose: Bright and herbaceous, with notes of fresh lime, cut grass, grilled vegetables, mint, and grapefruit, layered with hints of roasted pepper and almonds.

Taste: A lush, full-bodied mouthfeel leads into flavors of lemon, lime, intensely ripe cooked agave, and sea salt, followed by subtle hints of ripe cantaloupe and a touch of green apple.

Finish: Long and warming, with a lingering cooked agave sweetness, bright citrus notes, and a subtle touch of minerality.