Juerte Destilado de Pulque

Verdict

Juerte is working in a niche almost nobody works in – distilled pulque, rather than distilled cooked agave. The result is conceptually fascinating and practically a little thin at 40%; the aromatic vocabulary is closer to funky cider than to mezcal. Buy for the curiosity value and the category education; don't expect it to replace a mezcal on the shelf. Sits in the same strange-cousin aisle as raicilla and tepache spirits.

Tasting notes

Nose: Yeasty, green apple, hay, a faint dairy note

Palate: 40% – destilado de pulque is a rare NOM category, and Juerte's Tlaxcala version reads yeasty and bready, more like a distilled cider than a mezcal

Finish: Short, clean, slightly funky

The bottom line

Buy for education, not for regular drinking

Where to buy online

We found this bottle at 3 US retailers. Prices and stock vary – click through to check.

• South Lyndale – $49.99
• Old Town Tequila – $47
• Hi-Time Wine