Alicantes Pintos Raicilla Costa (Ancient Mexican Elixir)

Alicantes Pintos Raicilla Costa, also sold as Ancient Mexican Elixir, is a coastal raicilla from Jalisco, the western agave spirit that earned its Denomination of Origin only in 2019 after centuries made quietly in the Sierra Madre. This is a raicilla de la costa, where the humid, warm seaside climate pushes the spirit toward greater minerality and a sharper, fruitier edge than the floral mountain style. It is distilled from Rhodacantha agave, known locally as Amarillo, rather than the more usual Maximiliana.
The headline is the funk, born of an uncontrolled fermentation with wild yeasts in that warm coastal air. The nose layers warm honey and cooked agave over a striking, almost milky acidity and the earthy clay note of traditional distillation. The palate is oily and near creamy, dense with mineral tones and an overripe tropical fruit funk that recalls yogurt and sourdough, before a long, pleasantly tart and spicy finish.