PM Spirits Project Blanco Still Strength Tequila

PM Spirits Project Blanco Still Strength Tequila is distilled at full proof—55% ABV—from agave harvested at an average age of six years and 35 Brix ripeness in Jalisco. Unlike most blancos, which are diluted to 40% before bottling, this bottle preserves the concentration and heat that come straight off the copper pot still, offering a rare look at tequila's structure before water steps in. The result is technically a blanco but drinks with the intensity of something aged, a spirit that carries faint barrel whispers but remains defined by agave and proof. PM Spirits sources agave with pencas trimmed to 2.5 centimeters, a detail that speaks to precision in the jimador's hand and consistency in the raw material entering production. The piñas are cooked for 40 hours in a traditional brick oven, crushed with a roller mill, and fermented using a proprietary yeast strain before entering a 3500-liter copper pot still. The two-pass distillation—eight hours on the first run, sixteen on the second—yields a spirit with structural clarity at cask strength. After distillation, the tequila rests for 15 days in bourbon casks, just enough contact to round the edges without crossing into reposado territory, then bottled undiluted at still strength. Expect bold cooked agave, white pepper, and a saline minerality that amplifies at 55% ABV. The bourbon-barrel rest contributes a subtle vanilla note, but the spirit's core is green and vegetal, with enough heat to open up slowly in the glass. Pour it neat if you want the full experience—the proof reveals layers that unfold with time and air. Use it as the backbone in a margarita that won't disappear under citrus and ice, or pair it with ceviche, grilled shrimp, or anything with lime and salt that can stand up to the intensity. This is a blanco for sippers who want to taste what the distiller tasted before dilution, and for bartenders building cocktails that need structural integrity at high proof. Available at Off Premise in Lincoln Park.