El Caballito Cerrero Blanco Agave Chato 46 (750ml / 46%)

Using the rare, but traditional agave varietal "Chato" (Angustifolia) Caballito has crafted a historically significant link to the old ways of producing Tequila. This squat agave is not uncommon in the valley around Guadalajara and would have been used in distilleries to produce spirit prior to the tequila "normas" being established in the middle of the 20th century. Caballito Cerrero has re-established the cultivation of the historical plant with this extremely unique and delicious agave spirit.

It does provide a glimpse into the past, connecting us with what the great spirit of Mexico might have tasted like two or three hundred years ago. Chato's distinct character can only be described as more vegetal than the Blue Weber. Expect a complex nose of roast pepper and fresh herbs. The palate remains extremely vibrant and lifted with the agave fruit battling the strong green aromatics.

El Caballito Cerrero was created in 1950 by Don Alfonso Jimenez Rosales and translates to "The one that doesn't need horseshoes”. The name suggests some tension as Don Alfonso founded El Caballito Cerrero when he left Tequila Herradura, a company of which he was a founding partner.

Producing it it in the Santa Rita factory built in 1873 by his father-in-law Maximiano Hernandez Orozco, his son Claudio continued to produce tequila Caballito Cerrero until his death and it is not until 2018 that his descendants (the 15th generation of “vino mezcal” producers) took the decision, under the premise of always respecting the values of the agave and maintaining a full identity, to cease the use of the word tequila in order to produce "Caballito Cerrero" as an agave distillate.

AROMA: There is a bit of anise, minerals, cotton candy, and citrus rinds.
TASTE: It’s light and fresh like a top quality blanco tequila with superior minerality and herbaceousness.
BARREL: Unaged
ENJOY: with the best of them. Simply unbelievable.

The Jimenez family maintains absolute respect for the quality of the 100% agave product that they produce, using only mature agaves of the Amatitán region, having productions with Blue Agave Tequilana Weber and with Agave Angustifolia as their ancestors did. Caballito Cerrero is the result of the knowledge acquired by the Jimenez family through fifteen generations of producers of vino mezcal, tequila and agave distillate, the geographical conditions of the Santa Rita factory and the effort of a family to stay true to their convictions and traditions

This legendary, but tiny distillery in Amatitan, El Caballito, has constantly and historically been regarded as one of Mexico's top distilleries, but due to it's complicated relationship with the CRT (regulatory board of tequila), El Caballito has had trouble getting its spirits certified. The family made the decision to cease calling their product tequila, in defiance of the industrialization of the category, and to respect the agave distillation traditions within the Amatitán region where Caballito Cerrero is made. The Jimenez family uses only mature agave, including both Azul, or Blue Weber (A. tequilana) and other varieties such as Chato (A. angustifolia), just as their ancestors have for fifteen generations.

This elusiveness has led their products to reach legendary status with aficionados worldwide.