Santo Cuviso Bacanora Reposado
Santo Cuviso Bacanora Reposado is a 92 proof (46% ABV), 750mL Sonoran agave spirit — 100% Agave angustifolia from the Sierra of Quiriego, Sonora — rested five to six months in an American white oak barrel. Made by maestro bacanorero Rumaldo Flores Amarillas for Casa Santeros, this is bacanora as it was meant to be: an agave spirit with its own Denomination of Origin (2000), legal only since 1992 after decades of prohibition, drier and earthier than mezcal with a silkier texture. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 46% (92 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Agave: 100% Agave angustifolia, Sierra of Quiriego, Sonora
- Aging: rested 5–6 months in American white oak (official tech sheet)
- Process: underground volcanic-stone oven, mesquite fire, ax-and-mill grind, 6-day fermentation in American oak tanks, double copper-pot distillation
- Maestro: Rumaldo Flores Amarillas
Sonora's Own Agave Spirit, Oak-Rested
Bacanora is distilled like artisanal mezcal — pit ovens, wild fermentation, copper stills — but only in Sonora, only from Agave angustifolia, and with a character all its own: woody with a light touch of cacao, vanilla, and a roasted-coffee finish, settling into a delicate balance of vanilla and wood with floral, caramel, and coffee notes (official tech sheet notes; retailer copy adds a kick of pepper and an earthy finish). Five to six months in American white oak gives the reposado its dark-amber color and full body without muting the agave. The Santo Cuviso name reaches back to 1756, when Jesuit missionary Ignaz Pfefferkorn was healed by the Ópata people's sacred agave remedy, the "Cuviso" — and the brand's modern revival honors the Sonoran families who kept bacanora alive in hidden mountain vinatas during the decades it was outlawed under penalty of death. Browse more agave spirits and explore the Santo Cuviso collection at Del Mesa Liquor.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Woody with a light touch of cacao, vanilla, roasted coffee finish (brand tech sheet).
Palate: Delicate balance between vanilla and wood; floral, caramel, and coffee notes.
Finish: Earthy with a kick of pepper (retailer-sourced).
How to Enjoy
Pour it neat to appreciate the Sonoran style — drier and pepperier than tequila. It also makes a rugged Old Fashioned or a Reposado Manhattan where the oak plays off the vermouth.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is bacanora?
Sonora's agave spirit, made only from Agave angustifolia and only in Sonora, Mexico. Illegal under penalty of law for decades (legalized 1992), it earned its own Denomination of Origin in 2000.
How long is Santo Cuviso Bacanora Reposado aged?
Five to six months in American white oak, per the brand's official tech sheet.
What proof is Santo Cuviso Bacanora Reposado?
92 proof (46% ABV) in the 750mL bottle.
Who makes it?
Maestro bacanorero Rumaldo Flores Amarillas at Casa Santeros in Quiriego, Sonora.
Sonora's historic agave spirit, oak-rested and small-batch — shop Santo Cuviso Bacanora Reposado online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.