Sips & Sites & Bites

Creador Agave Spirits, out of Austin, Texas, is known for some of the finest agave distillates out there.

The spirits maker just introduced its second 100% agave distillation, six new expressions milled by hand, clay pot fermented and distilled by maestro palenquero José Alberto Pablo in San Bernardo Mixtepec, Oaxaca. 

This is what you can expect from this rare breed of spirits maker, as Creador is committed to the work of the mezcaleros, and guided by craft and transparency.

“Our first and second releases of destilado are produced in Oaxaca by maestro palenquero José Alberto Pablo,” said Marcus Piña, founder of Creador Agave Spirits. “We seek out independent family producers who have little to no representation outside of their local markets – producers who want to make a transition to full-time production of destilado and need help getting their agave spirits to market. We import this ancestral style destilado and bottle it in Texas for discerning agave lovers around the country.”

Creador Agave Spirits is all about the ancestral-style agave spirits, top-shelf clay pot distilled 100% agave spirits distilled in Oaxaca that honor the work of mezcal makers. 

What you get in these spirits is a taste that’s robust, unique, and approachable. 

Every one of their expressions is highly limited in numbers. Creador bottle labels are handmade from agave paper in Oaxaca, resulting in one-of-a-kind labels that showcase unique artwork by painter Camille Woods.

This batch of Creador Agave Spirits was made using traditional methods, as each small-batch expression started by cooking agave piñas in an underground river rock-lined stone oven for five days, mashing the cooked piñas by hand with mallets in a hollowed tree trunk, then fermenting in half-buried 90-liter clay pots, and distilling twice in 60-liter clay pots. 

It’s brought to proof (about 48% ABV) by mixing the heads, tails, and body of the distillate.

In this second release, the expressions include:

• Espadín Capón — This spirit is made by cutting the quiote when it is jutting skyward from the center of the agave to retain the natural sugar in the plant. The result is destilado with distinct and delicious characteristics. Agave angustifolia was cultivated in the Sola de Vega region of Oaxaca and took 8-10 years to reach maturity. It has aromas of cotton candy, hickory, red fruit, plum, cherry and a palate that’s slightly sweet with wet clay, oatmeal, and grilled asparagus flavors. This is José Alberto’s first-ever batch of espadín capón, and is a medal winner 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
• Lumbre — The agave lumbre used for this spirit is cultivated in San Bernardo Mixtepec in the Zimatlán region of Oaxaca at an elevation of approximately 1651 meters. Agave lumbre takes 8-10 years to reach maturity. This 600-liter release combines two productions from May and August 2021. On the nose, it has ripe apple, stone fruit, baby’s breath with leathery sweet flavors of dried fruit, and a hint of tobacco. Lumbre is the signature destilado by José Alberto’s, and is a medal winner 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
• Mexicano — In San Bernardo Mixtepec and surrounding areas agave rhodacantha grows wild and is also cultivated. Low and broad, with thinner pencas than the angustifolia, mexicano takes 10-12 years to reach maturity at an elevation of approximately 1651 meters. Cultivated and harvested in nearby Zimatlán de Alvarez, this mexicano is peppery with a dry and refined finish. It is earthy with herbal, cucumber, honey, wet grass scents with warm flavors of chocolate, cooked tropical fruit, and cinnamon.
• Lumbre + Espadín Ensamble — Two agaves are mixed 50/50 to highlight the characteristics of each one. The agaves are harvested and then cooked together in el horno for 3-5 days. They are milled together by hand, and fermented and distilled together, making them a blend from the start of the process until the finish. Both agaves were cultivated in San Bernardo Mixtepec. This 600-liter release combines two productions from March and May 2022. Each production produced 440 and 420 liters respectively. It has sweet citrus, clay, and black pepper aromas and a palate of red berries with a slightly viscous mouthfeel.
• Tobalá Descansado — The agave potatorum used to make tobalá was harvested in Santa Ana Tlapacoyan, and took 12-14 years to reach maturity. Originally 340 liters were distilled in 2019, and 50 liters were set aside and rested (descansado) in glass for 4 years before being bottled and released for production. Resting in a neutral vessel such as glass allows the flavors and characteristics of the destilado to develop over time, resulting in round and very approachable agave spirits. Tobalá Descansado has aromas of fresh dates, caramel, and cognac with soft and delicate flavors of apple cider, rawhide, and cinnamon. This is an exclusive 50-liter batch bottled for Mezcaleria Tobalá in Austin, Texas.
• Jabalí — Agave convallis used to make Jabalí is harvested wild near Sola De Vega in the Sierra Sur region of Oaxaca. Producing this spirit is challenging and these first batches produced are certainly worth it. The piñas have a lower yield compared to higher-yield agaves. During fermentation and distillation, the bagasso produces a lot of foam, which needs to be monitored and removed. What makes this batch special is not only that it is made from 100% agave convallis, but these are also José Alberto’s first batches, and the results are soft, full, and rich. It has inviting scents of candied yams, pumpkin, and butternut squash, and a soft, sweet, and savory palate brimming with baking spices and cantaloupe. It’s a medal winner at the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

You can find Creador Agave Spirits at retail stores, bars, and restaurants in Texas and you can purchase online from the Creador website with shipping to most states nationwide. Suggested retail prices range from $99.99 to $179.99.