El Pandillo, in the town of Jesus Maria, Jalisco, is one of Mexico'struly great distilleries.Under the leadership of Felipe Camarena, the distillery has retained the traditional quality of their heritage by looking forward in terms of technology, rather than simply relying on the old methods.Too often, new methods simply mean more efficiency and a dip in quality, but Felipe's goal is to use these tools and methods to create a more authentic expression of agave, not less. His custom built stone ovens capture the complex flavor of highland Blue Weber aged 8-10 years and selected for peak maturity. The agave is then crushed on his mechanical tahona, nicknamed "Frankenstein," fermented with natural proprietary yeasts originally propagated by Felipe's grandfather 80 years ago and the distilled in small copper pot stills. El Pandillo is also the home of other beloved Tequila brands such as Pasote, Volans, and Terralta.The nose shows cooked agave, slight alcohol heat, cinnamon, the minerality of wet cement after a summer rain, tangerine, vanilla, jalapeo, and the sweetness of grilled pineapple and peach. The mouthfeel is creamy and spicy, with more cooked agave, red hots, and citrus. The finish starts with sweet ripe fruit and green peppers, then the agave comes through, and leaves your mouth tingling.