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La Higuera Leiophyllum

Sotol La Higuera Leiophyllum has notes of wet soil and ash. The pallet is meaty with notes of salami. The finish gets fruity with notes of peaches and bananas.

Rating: (11 reviews)
Category:Sotol
Brand:La Higuera Sotol
Sotolero:Gerardo Ruelas Hernandez
Dasylirion:Leiophyllum
Grind:Hand
Distillation:Copper
Style:Joven
State:Chihuahua
Town:Aldama
ABV: 47.3%

About this sotol

Sotol La Higuera Leiophyllum is produced in Aldama, Chihuahua by Master Sotolero Gerardo Ruelas. The sotol plants are cooked in an outdoor conical oven and then milled by hand with axes. The fibers are naturally fermented with wild yeasts in 1,000-liter pine vats before being double distilled in copper alembic stills. The Leiophyllum has notes of wet soil and ash. The pallet is meaty with notes of salami. The finish gets fruity with notes of peaches and bananas.

La Higuera Sotol

Sotol La Higuera is produced using traditional methods in Aldama, Chihuahua by Master Sotolero Gerardo Ruelas. He cooks the different varieties in an outdoor conical oven fired by wood and rocks. The Dasylirion varieties are milled by hand with axes. Fermentation occurs with wild yeast in 1,000-liter pine vats. The sotols are double distilled in copper alembic stills.

Member rating

2.95 out of 5

11 reviews

Jam

Jam

149 reviews
Rated 1 out of 5 stars6 months ago

Lot 22, 03/22 production date

Review #64: nose has caramel, buttered popcorn, Hershey milk chocolate, and butyric acid. The palate has all the caramel, buttered popcorn, hersheys, and butyric acid, with some more poking its head out like mushroom, weird rotten meat funk, and light smoke on the finish.

You can call my palate scuffed after my review of this and the the higuera cedrosanum. I just can’t get past the butyric acid. It’s too much and it ruins everything for me. I can tolerate a small amount with chocolate presenting flavors, but this is bordering on undrinkable for me. If it weren’t for the off note, this would be interesting. I hope this is also a batch issue like i believe the cedrosanum is. I’ll look out for other batches but i would not willingly drink this again.

Lot 22, 03/22 production date
Review #64: nose has caramel, buttered popcorn, Hershey milk chocolate, and butyric acid. The palate has all the caramel, buttered popcorn, hersheys, and butyric acid, with some more poking its head out like mushroom, weird rotten meat funk, and light smoke on the finish.
You can call my palate scuffed after my review of this and the the higuera cedrosanum. I just can’t get past the butyric acid. It’s too much and it ruins everything for me. I can toler

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Zack Klamn

Zack Klamn

542 reviews
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars2 years ago

Nose – Magic Marker. Toluene. Rose petals. Dandelions.

Palate – Generic brand grapefruit juice. Turkey jerky. Dandelion stems. Listerine Original (Light yellow colored) mouthwash. Ethanol finish and Splenda aftertaste. Starts decent but sub-par finish. I don’t hate it – had better, had worse.

This was a 1.5 oz. sample from stylin’ mezcal reviewer, Rahkal (Lot 2).

thomaselliott

thomaselliott

14 reviews
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars2 years ago

09/2020
Lot 14 ABV 45%

This is sort of sweet and sort of sour with a salinity that is almost like jars of green olives or capers. The mix of flavors is well balanced which would make for both an affordable sipper or something that could make for a really interesting Paloma or a Negroni that would leave you wondering “what the hell is this.” It’s bloody lovely, that’s what it is.

aarild

aarild

152 reviews
Rated 4 out of 5 stars3 years ago

Lot 7, May 19.
My first sotol. Iris, aniseed, peppermint, and clear brandy. Strong and interesting nose, quite the aromas of yellow chartreuse, but more with a feeling of fresh herb than infused.
I do agree that it tastes a bit of charred corn, also lemon sherbet and grassy, vegetal spice. Not a long aftertaste but all in all very pleasant.
Not sure how to rate a Sotol. I love it for the freshness, but at the same time it is not as complex as my favourite mezcals.

TzotollineRaramuri

TzotollineRaramuri

75 reviews
Rated 4 out of 5 stars3 years ago

Lote #6; Bottle 625/1400; Dist 05/2018
?- clear
?- drying impact.
Aromas of alcohol, vanilla, green grass, pinenuts, marine oyster shell, eucalyptus, bosc pear, pine, aloe vera, prairie flowers.
Average, complex production.
Average length and ordinary character.
?- coating & astringent effect, slight warming; sufficiently generous, roughly smooth alcohol; medium-full body.
Primarily sour taste, with bitter highlights; buttery smoothness.
Flavors of pine, mint, citrus zest, vegetal, ginger, waxy, tart pungency.
Medium concentrated flavor intensity, slightly complex, bold balance.
Straightforward and very long finish.
Very good overall impression.

*good overall balance. it was very linear and monotone at first, but aeration benefits complexity of character.

Learn more about organoleptic evaluation at the International Wine & Spirits Guild’s seminar in Fine Spirits,
or more on Agave Spirits certifications through the Agave Spirits Institute.

Lote #6; Bottle 625/1400; Dist 05/2018
?- clear
?- drying impact.
Aromas of alcohol, vanilla, green grass, pinenuts, marine oyster shell, eucalyptus, bosc pear, pine, aloe vera, prairie flowers.
Average, complex production.
Average length and ordinary character.
?- coating & astringent effect, slight warming; sufficiently generous, roughly smooth alcohol; medium-full body.
Primarily sour taste, with bitter highlights; buttery smoothness.
Flavors of pine, mint, citrus zest, vegetal, ginger,

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HighWine

HighWine

76 reviews
Rated 3 out of 5 stars3 years ago

Aroma of toasted corn, wet clay, ash, aloe vera, and roasted carrots. Taste is dry pine, menthol, and softwood smoke. Medium-full in the mouth. Not really remarkable in any particular way but I’m really enjoying sipping on this.

Nick

Nick

25 reviews
Rated 3 out of 5 stars4 years ago

Warm smoke and a grassy first taste and nose. Crisp sugars then some coffee, chocolate and hint of mineral. Sotol’s grassy flavours continue on the back palette. At 48% there is a slight mouth burn but all it does it accent the flavours and get you ready for another sip. Sotols are a nice change from a sometimes heavier mezcal but keep you in that smoky place we all enjoy. The label on this bottle features a dasylirion but is the same dasylirion/leiophyllum variety shown here. Distiller Gerado Ruelas, date: 05/17, Lot 5, bottle 56/800.

Warm smoke and a grassy first taste and nose. Crisp sugars then some coffee, chocolate and hint of mineral. Sotol’s grassy flavours continue on the back palette. At 48% there is a slight mouth burn but all it does it accent the flavours and get you ready for another sip. Sotols are a nice change from a sometimes heavier mezcal but keep you in that smoky place we all enjoy. The label on this bottle features a dasylirion but is the same dasylirion/leiophyllum variety shown here. Distiller Gerado

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Jongers

Jongers

14 reviews
Rated 5 out of 5 stars5 years ago

La Higuera is where its at when it comes to Sotol! I’ve had them all and they are all good. Leiophyllum has less of a prominent alcohol character in the nose than Wheeleri (a good thing), smelling of earth and herbs. The flavor is a nice balance of earth, bark, spice, mineral, mint, and sage. Yum.

Jonny

Jonny

700 reviews
Rated 3 out of 5 stars5 years ago

Lot 2. Sweet aromas of caramel, green grass, sweet corn. Tastes of vanilla bean, toffee, and cake frosting. This is sweet and round with some hints of bitters. Semi viscous.

Rakhal

Rakhal

421 reviews
Rated 1 out of 5 stars5 years ago

Lot 2. Smelled floral and earthy but tasted of pine and grapefruit. It was very bitter. Like drinking grapefruit juice right after brushing your teeth. The bitterness lingered long after. I did not like this one.

TheAgaveFairy

TheAgaveFairy

169 reviews
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars5 years ago

Tasted side by side with the other 2 varietal offerings.

More must and earth and a dessicated fruit sweetness. Florality, some beef jerky refererences, white mushroom (or some other variety that idk). Something, almost, peaty? Heather? Getting some really defined violet coming through. If there is citrus, more tangerine like, peach [blossom] for sure, jasmine. Very interesting stuff. Redwood, corn starch, black pepper.

Least favorite of the 3, a little too much heat in comparison.

Tasted side by side with the other 2 varietal offerings.
More must and earth and a dessicated fruit sweetness. Florality, some beef jerky refererences, white mushroom (or some other variety that idk). Something, almost, peaty? Heather? Getting some really defined violet coming through. If there is citrus, more tangerine like, peach [blossom] for sure, jasmine. Very interesting stuff. Redwood, corn starch, black pepper.
Least favorite of the 3, a little too much heat in comparison.

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