Viva Mexico Edition No. 01 Madera Still Strength Blanco Tequila
Viva Mexico Edition No. 01 Madera Still Strength Blanco Tequila is a limited still-strength blanco from the Vivanco family's Destilería El Ranchito (NOM 1414) in Arandas, in the Los Altos highlands of Jalisco, imported by Skurnik, and the first of the house's numbered special editions. Madera means wood, and here it refers not to barrels but to fermentation: instead of stainless steel, the mosto fermented for eight days with its agave fibers in traditional 2,000-liter pine tinas, open to the air and the ambient yeasts of the distillery's orchard, with a propagated wild yeast, deep-well water and classical music playing — the family's "Mozart method." The agave is 100% estate-grown Blue Weber matured six to eight years at about 6,600 feet, roasted 48 to 50 hours in brick ovens and crushed on a roller mill. Under maestro tequilero Sergio Cruz it is distilled twice in copper pot stills and bottled unaged, uncut from the still at 54% ABV in a 750mL bottle, kosher certified and additive-free. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- Proof / ABV: 108 proof (54% ABV), still strength
- Size: 750mL
- Agave: 100% estate-grown Blue Weber, matured 6–8 years, Los Altos
- Distillery: Destilería El Ranchito, NOM 1414, Arandas
- Production: Fermented 8 days with fibers in 2,000L pine tinas; double copper pot distillation
- Origin: Jalisco, Mexico
Edition No. 01: Fermented in Wood
Recent years have brought NOM 1414 a renewed focus on heritage methods, and Madera is the purest expression of it: a long, open, fiber-on fermentation in pine that lets the distillery's orchard yeasts shape a blanco of unusual tropical depth, bottled at full still strength to deliver every bit of it. VinePair scored it 92 points. Shop more blanco tequila and the full tequila collection at Del Mesa.
Tasting Notes
Fresh agave, citrus, lychee, jackfruit, dry grass and wood on the nose; raw and cooked agave anchored palate with citrus and tropical fruit echoing through a powerful, lingering finish.
How to Enjoy
Sip it neat with a few drops of water to open the tropical fruit, or let it anchor a Margarita at full strength. Find more limited agave releases among our gift sets.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Madera mean here?
Wood — specifically the traditional pine tinas (vats) used for this edition's eight-day fermentation, not barrel aging. The tequila is an unaged blanco.
Is it really still strength?
Yes. It is bottled uncut at 54% ABV (108 proof), straight from the still's proof.
Is it additive-free?
Yes, and it is kosher certified.
Order Viva Mexico Edition No. 01 Madera from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA, while this numbered first edition lasts.