Cascahuin 48 Plata Tequila

Cascahuín 48 Plata is a full-proof, uncut, unfiltered tequila blanco from NOM 1123 in El Arenal, Jalisco, bottled at 48% ABV to honor founder Salvador Rosales Briseño. The Rosales family limits each production lot to 2,500 liters, preserving the mineral signature of the Lowlands and the clean, vegetal intensity of estate-grown agave tequilana. Unlike industrial blancos reduced to 40% and chill-filtered for shelf stability, Cascahuín 48 Plata reaches the glass with the fatty body and concentrated aromatics that only raw distillate retains. This is lowland tequila as it was made before global distribution demanded standardization, and Chicago's agave-spirit drinkers now have direct access to that tradition at Off Premise. The Rosales family has distilled tequila in El Arenal for three generations, drawing agave from the volcanic lowlands where red clay and mineral-rich soil produce spirits with savory, herbaceous profiles distinct from the fruitier highland expressions. Cascahuín's production follows traditional methods: stone-oven roasting, natural fermentation, and double distillation in copper pot stills. The decision to bottle at 48% without filtration reflects a deliberate choice to preserve the congeners and oils that carry terroir—what the distillery calls the "dry land and mineral of Valleys." Each small-batch lot is a snapshot of a single harvest, unblended and undiluted, so bottle variation is part of the experience. The nose opens with forceful cooked agave, black pepper, and fresh mint, then unfolds into cardamom, walnut, coffee, honey, and butter as it sits in the glass. The palate is refreshing and vegetal on entry—mint, cilantro, bitter herbs—followed by the sweet-savory interplay of roasted agave, honey, and stone fruit, finishing long and fatty with a memory of cooked maguey that lingers well past the swallow. Drink this tequila the way the distillery intends: neat, at room temperature, with time to breathe, alongside ceviche, grilled white fish, or a simple plate of citrus and sal de gusano. The proof and texture also make it a rare blanco that holds its own in a split-base Margarita or Paloma without disappearing under lime and soda. Cascahuín 48 Plata Tequila is available for pickup at Off Premise Chicago, 1128 W Armitage Ave in Lincoln Park, with local Chicago delivery and nationwide shipping.