SUSTAINABILITY
Distillation Process
Because the sotol plant is wild grown and 100% organic, without ever being compromised by fertilizers or crop enhancing technology, the result is its signature array of exquisite flavors which it absorbs from the earth it is grown in. The sotol plant is foraged from the wild lands of the Chihuahuan forest, prairie, mountains and desert lands, which qualities it absorbs in the 15 years it takes to mature. One piña will yield a single bottle of Los Magos Sotol.
Because we believe in never taking more than we should, we forage for and hand pick only plants that are fully mature and ready for production, taking care to cut in a manner that leaves the roots and a portion of the plant intact for regeneration. The sotol’s leaves are also left behind as offering and nourishment to the ground we took from.
The sotol hearts are then separated and rolled down the hill to be collected and transported to the distillery where they are roasted in an underground wood-fired, cone shaped, earth pit lined with volcanic rock for 36 – 48 hours before being hand milled.
Once milled the product is left to ferment in open-air wood vats with naturally-occurring yeasts from the environment (as opposed to commercial additives) and mineral rich, deep well water for up to 10 days, at which point our master distiller checks fermentation completion. Following fermentation, the liquid is transferred to specially designed copper stills for distillation. Los Magos is the only Sotol on the market that is triple distilledo and while producing a lower yield this process allows the Sotol to show its most distinctive aromas and flavors and takes out the alcoholic bite that is often experienced with tequilas and mezcals.
Los Magos Blanco Sotol is our unaged Sotol. Bottled as it is when it’s third distillation is complete. Our aged Sotols are aged between 6 and 12+ years in American white oak barrels that were previously used for tequila and whiskey.
Sotol | Tequila | |
Plant | Wild Sotol (dasylirion) | Cultivated Blue Agave |
Region or Origin | Northern Mexico | Western Mexico |
# of Years to ripen | 15 years | 6-8 years |
Yield per plant | 1 liter | 6 liters |
Fermentation | Wild Yeast | Beer Yeast |
Taste | Smooth, earthy, floral minimal aftertaste | Smokey, spicy, long sour aftertaste |