Genuine Uncertified Secret S.A.C.R.E.D. Agave Spirits Stash (136 Proof)

Ildefonso Macías Ginez distills this 136-proof mezcal from Agave marmorata in San Luis Atolotitlán, Puebla, a village inside the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve. These are puntas — the high-proof heart of the distillation run — and the 68% ABV reflects the intensity of marmorata, a wild agave that grows slowly in the semi-arid highlands east of Oaxaca. The full product name, Genuine Uncertified Secret S.A.C.R.E.D. Agave Spirits Stash, signals that this is not a certified mezcal under the Denominación de Origen; Puebla lies outside the DO, so mezcaleros like Ildefonso work without the regulatory apparatus but within centuries-old tradition. Ildefonso works in a village where UNESCO has recognized the land as the birthplace of Mesoamerican agriculture — corn, squash, beans, chiles — but where contemporary conservation law restricts residents from harvesting wild agave and other indigenous foods. The greenhouse and nursery funded by this release are an attempt to reconcile preservation with the livelihood of the 35,000 people living in the Reserve. His production method layers old and new: agave cooked underground in earthen pits, milled by hand with wooden hammers, fermented open-air in a mix of hollowed-out log canoas and plastic barrels, then distilled twice — first in wood-fired steel stills, then in copper. The marmorata he uses is pichometl, a local name for the maguey that thrives in Puebla's high desert. At 136 proof, this is not a sipping spirit in the usual sense — puntas are traditionally reserved for ceremonies, for blending, or for drinkers who want the full aromatic range of the agave without dilution. Expect green herbs, wet stone, and a salinity that marmorata carries from its terroir. A few drops in a cocktail will reorient the entire drink; a small pour over ice with a squeeze of lime and a pinch of sal de gusano is the simplest and most honest way to taste what Ildefonso and his palenque produce. This is a spirit for people who want to understand agave spirits from the ground up, not polished for export markets. This limited-edition mezcal from Puebla is available now at Off Premise in Lincoln Park, at 1128 W Armitage Ave, with pickup, local Chicago delivery, and nationwide shipping.