What Is Sotol? Why This Mexican Spirit Isn’t Tequila | La Pulga Sotol Review

[00:00:00] If you think tequila and mezcal are the only agave spirits worth your time, you need to try this agave adjacent spirit called Soto. Today, I'm going to step out of the tequila territory a little bit and try something a little older, a little wilder, and something that's deeply rooted in tradition. This is La Pulga spirit Soto. Born in the northern high desert of Chihuahua, Mexico, sotol has been made for nearly every 800 years. Unlike tequila or mezcal, sotol isn't agave. It comes from the dasalurium plant. And what makes La Pulga special is their commitment to sustainability and only wild harvesting. Protecting the fragile desert ecosystem while keeping this tradition alive. What's in the glass? La Puga Sotol is bottled at 38% ABV, or 76 proof. And right away you can tell the spirit is really balanced and has a lot of nuance. So let's get this one opened up. Now. I did get the opportunity to do an interview with Sara, Sarah Castille and Dave Wiley and talk about their company and their products. So we got into the Soto a little bit, and I talked about the story behind how they got into creating an agave adjacent spirit. Everything they do is traditional. The sotol is made a little differently, too. Instead of being cooked in a steam oven, it's cooked in a ground oven. They're using usually some kind of tohona or a mallet and a canoe to extract. They usually ferment with fish fibers, and the fermentation time is a lot longer than your normal fermentation time. And then, of course, twice distilled. All right, so let's dive into the nose of this one. [00:01:36] Now, you get a little bit of that smoke, but only a touch of it. [00:01:40] If you let that rest, sniff it a couple of times, what you find is the smoke disappears, and after a while, you pick up this earthy herbal note. It's. It's very grassy. You get like a. A little bit of a desert sand type smell. [00:02:04] And then it. It becomes a little fruity. [00:02:09] So fruity and earthy with the minerality. That's pretty neat. It really changed each time you smell it. [00:02:16] All right, let's dive into the taste of this one. [00:02:26] Lighter on the mouth feel. Definitely not a big alcohol approach either. So that's very light. You get a bright citrus note. You get some wildflower type floral notes, a little touch of white pepper, a little gentle amount of smoke. Like you. You pick it up, but it's not like campfire. So let's dive into that one. More time. [00:02:56] There's a nice grassy note there as well. That minerality and earthiness is just really prevalent the whole time. Finish is it's really soft. [00:03:06] It's balanced in the back of your mouth. It doesn't burn or it's not hot or it doesn't heat up like a pepper or like a vegetal heat. It really just kind of lingers and kind of tingles in the back of your mouth. So that is. [00:03:22] That is pretty good. I really like the way it tastes and how it's balanced. You definitely can tell, though, it's lower than your normal 40 ABV or some of the high proofs that we drink. One of my favorite details is the Arije Spirit Medallion. On each bottle for the sotol expression, you'll notice it's a scorpion, a symbol of protection, mystery, and untold stories of the desert night. This medallion isn't just for decor. [00:03:47] It's La Pulga's stamp representing quality, community, and a respect for tradition. [00:03:53] Now, to me, sotol is fantastic, neat, and if you want to explore its complexity, that's the best way to do it. But it's also uniquely crafted for cocktails. It's fresh and it's earthy and that earthy. And the smokiness really builds in a lot of cocktails. Try it in a ranch water or any citrus forward cocktail. This spirit will shine through every time. If you're a tequila drinker and you're really looking to expand your palate, or you're even a mezcal fan who wants something less smoky but just as expressive, La Pulga Sotol is absolutely worth your time. It's authentic, it's thoughtfully made, it's deeply connected to its place and its history. This is desert terroir in liquid form. If you've had sotol, or especially this sotol, drop me a comment. If you like videos about tequila, agave spirits and reviews definitely hit that. Subscribe that like button. Share it with your friends. Thanks for watching my videos and if it was a warm summer night, it'd be a great time to sip on this outside, but it's kind of cold here in Indiana, so we'll have it here at the bar and I'll just pretend I'm someplace warm. Thanks for watching. Have a great night.