52.8% ABV (105.6 proof) | 750mL | Ancestral-method blanco | NOM 1123 — Siembra Valles Ancestral Blanco is tequila made the way it was made before industrialization: 100% Blue Weber agave from a single estate (Rancho El Novillero, Parcela 26), roasted ~120 hours in an earthen pit with wood and lava rock, hand-crushed with wooden mallets (a method older than the tahona), fermented with wild native yeast in wood tanks, then double-distilled — first in a copper pot alembic, second in a Filipino-style pine-wood alembic with a copper coil. Distilled under NOM 1123 at Tequila Cascahuín, El Arenal, Jalisco, by the Siembra Spirits project of founder David Suro Piñera. Additive-free. Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.
The ancestral method is all over the glass: roasted agave and wet earth on the nose, a palate of sweet cooked agave, tropical fruit, minerality, and warm spice at full proof, and a long, textured finish. Among blanco tequilas, this is the connoisseur’s bottle — high proof, single estate, pre-industrial methods, 95 points from Drinkhacker. Sip neat to taste the method; it makes a ferocious paloma.
Tasting notes
Nose: roasted agave, wet earth, tropical fruit. Palate: sweet cooked agave, minerality, warm spice at full proof. Finish: long and textured. (Per Agave Matchmaker/The Daily Pour notes.)
Why buy it from Del Mesa Liquor
- 52.8% ABV (105.6 proof) — 750mL
- Ancestral method: earthen-pit roasting, hand-maceration, Filipino pine-wood alembic
- Single-estate 100% Blue Weber agave (Rancho El Novillero); NOM 1123, Cascahuín, El Arenal, Jalisco
- Founded by David Suro Piñera (Siembra Spirits); additive-free
- 95 points — Drinkhacker (“Raided Score”); 91 — The Daily Pour
- Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor
How to serve it
Neat in a copita at room temperature to taste the ancestral method; a splash of water tames the proof. Makes a ferocious paloma.
Frequently asked questions
What does “Ancestral” mean in tequila?
The pre-industrial method: earthen-pit roasting, hand-crushing (no tahona or roller mill), wild fermentation, and distillation in non-copper stills like the Filipino pine alembic.
Why is the ABV so high?
It’s bottled near still strength in the ancestral style — this bottle is 52.8% ABV (batches vary). Check the bottle label for the exact figure.
Where is Siembra Valles made?
Under NOM 1123 at Tequila Cascahuín in El Arenal, Jalisco (the Valles/lowlands region).
Is it additive-free?
Yes — no additives, per the brand.
