ArteNOM 'Seleccion de 1123' Blanco Tequila
ArteNOM 'Seleccion de 1123' Blanco Tequila is a Blanco Historico — 43% ABV (86 proof), 750mL, 100% Blue Weber agave from El Arenal, Jalisco, distilled by Salvador Rosales Torres at Destileria Cascahuin (NOM 1123) and briefly conditioned 21–28 days in ex-brandy casks that previously held Oaxacan mezcal. ArteNOM is Jake Lustig's selection project, bottling single-distillery tequilas under their NOM; the 1123 revives an early-1900s Tequila Valley practice, giving the blanco a rare straw color and a viscous, spice-laden palate of hot cinnamon, black pepper and sweet potato. Additive-free. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 43% (86 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Agave: 100% Blue Weber agave, 24° brix, grown at ~4,200 ft in El Arenal, Jalisco
- Aging: Conditioned 21–28 days in ex-brandy casks that previously held mezcal (still legally a blanco)
- Origin: El Arenal, Jalisco, Mexico — Destileria Cascahuin, NOM 1123
- Production: Brick-kiln roasted, double pot-distilled, additive-free; selected by Jake Lustig; master distiller Salvador Rosales Torres
The Blanco With a History Lesson In It
Most blancos go straight from still to bottle. In the early 1900s, Tequila Valley distillers sometimes rested blanco briefly in seasoned wood before sale — and that is the "historico" style Lustig and the Rosales family revive here: under a month in brandy casks that once held Don Amado's reposado mezcal, just long enough to tint the spirit straw-gold and round its edges without making it a reposado. Cascahuin is one of the Valley's most respected traditional distilleries, and this is its agave — earthy, vegetal, peppery — speaking clearly. Compare it with the other blanco tequilas on our shelf, explore the tequila collection, or follow Lustig's other NOM selections at ArteNOM.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Roasted pineapple, warm butter, baking spices, smoked pepper and cider. Palate: Viscous — hot cinnamon, black pepper, sweet potato, vanilla, licorice and almond with hardwood smoke. Finish: Peppery and bright with lingering sweetness. Color: Straw.
How to Enjoy
Sip it neat at room temperature — the cask conditioning and 43% bottling strength make this a blanco built for the glass, not just the shaker. It also makes a richer, spicier margarita than any standard blanco.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Blanco Historico? A blanco tequila briefly rested in seasoned casks — here 21–28 days in ex-brandy casks that previously held mezcal — reviving an early-1900s Tequila Valley practice; at under two months it remains legally a blanco.
Who makes Seleccion de 1123? Destileria Cascahuin (NOM 1123) in El Arenal, Jalisco, under master distiller Salvador Rosales Torres of the Rosales family, selected by Jake Lustig for ArteNOM.
Why is a blanco straw-colored and 43% ABV? The brief cask conditioning gives it its straw tint, and it is bottled at 43% (86 proof) — above the standard 40% — for a fuller, more viscous palate. It is verified additive-free.
A blanco with a past, bottled above proof — order ArteNOM Seleccion de 1123 online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.