do you really think you know it all about mezcal ?

Tequila and Mezcal were the first agave based spirits to get out of Mexico. Now that one talks about shortage, and high prices it is maybe time to explore further ?
Bacanora and Raicilla are increasingly gaining in popularity in bars and restaurants.

what is bacanora?

Bacanora is a Mezcal that can only be made in mountainuous Sonora, northwestern Mexico. Bacanora is name after a town in Sonora (like Tequila, a town in Jalisco).
It is distilled from the fermented juice of a type of wild Pacific agave - agave Yaquiana (A. angustofolia).
Bacanora has its own D.O. since November 2000 and can be named as such only if it contains 100% wild agave (compared to Tequila, a Mezcal that only require 51% of Blue Agave). Bacanora is regulated by the Consejo Sonorense Promotor de la Regulacion del Bacanora.

how is bacanora made?

Bacanora is processed the way Mezcal is (see the post about Mezcal's production).

what does bacanora taste like?

The appearance is crystal clear, and taste wise it presents delicate vegetal aromas, it has a subtle smokiness and an almost liqueur-like sweetness.

Brian Summers* said about it “I think it’s just really well-balanced,” he said, “the smoke isn’t as overpowering as, say, mezcal, and it has a really nice earthiness.” He compared many of the mezcals on the US market to Islay scotch, “big smoke bombs,” whereas bacanora would be more like a Campbeltown, or a smoke-inflected Highland

* Bar manager of the bar Ama. From an interview to Bon Appétit's website

some bacanora brands spotted by spiritsfully

cielo rojo, bacanora, sonora

what is raicilla?

Raicilla is a Mezcal
Raicilla, like Tequila comes from Jalisco and more particularly 7 cities of the area of Puerto Vallarta, by the Pacific Coast. Raicilla is made where Tequila is made BUT Raicilla is not made from the Blue Weber agave, so it cannot be called Tequila.
Raicilla is made from agave pata de mula (Agave maximiliana) & the agave lechuguilla (Agave inaequidens).
Contrary to Bacanora Raicilla does not have a DO but the name  “Raicilla Jalisco”, can be applied on bottles and the Mexican Council of Raicilla Promoters was founded late 1990s.

how is raicilla made?

For making Raicilla, the hearts of the agave are cooked in above ground ovens so it is not as smoky as Mezcal.

how does raicilla taste like?

Tastewise it shows very much herbal notes.

some raicilla brands spotted by spiritsfully

Destilador del Real