Caballito Cerrero
ABOUT:
Caballito Cerrero (which translates to "The Untamed Horse, the one that does not need horseshoes") is an iconic, deeply historic brand that famously bucked the official Tequila Denomination of Origin to preserve its ancestral traditions, bottling its products instead as "Destilado de Agave." Founded in 1950 by Don Alfonso Jiménez Rosales (after leaving Tequila Herradura), the brand operates out of the historic Santa Rita Factory, built in 1873 in the fertile Barranca de Tecuane ravine in Amatitán, Jalisco. Today, the Jiménez family—representing fifteen generations of agave growers and distillers—continues to produce these spirits with absolute respect for quality. They use strictly mature, sazon agaves from the Amatitán region, natural spring mineral water for all steps of production, open-air fermentation with wild proprietary yeasts, and double distillation (first in stainless steel, then in copper).
WEBSITE:
https://www.caballitocerrero.com
MEZCALS OFFERED:
Blanco: An unaged expression that is rested for 45 days in stainless steel tanks before bottling at a robust 92 proof (46% ABV). Crafted from either Agave Angustifolia or Tequilana F.A.C. Weber and cooked in a brick steam oven, this bright spirit showcases the pure, unadulterated terroir of Amatitán. It offers a deeply complex, vibrant profile characterized by rich agave sweetness, robust minerality from the natural spring water, and earthy, vegetal nuances.
Blanco 46: A distinct variation of their unaged spirit, also bottled at 92 proof (46% ABV) and rested for 45 days in stainless steel. The key difference lies in the cooking process, utilizing traditional masonry ovens (mampostería). This traditional roasting imparts a richer, more profound depth to the agave, yielding a bold, terroir-driven spirit with enhanced savory and botanical complexities that agave purists highly seek out.
Reposado: A beautifully balanced, aged expression bottled at a highly approachable 80 proof (40% ABV). Cooked in traditional masonry ovens, the fermented and double-distilled spirit is then rested for 9 months in American Oak barrels. This careful aging process respects the vibrant, earthy agave core of Caballito Cerrero while introducing an elegant smoothness and warming layers of oak, soft vanilla, and delicate baking spices.