Pal' Alma Ensamble Durango Destilado de Agave – 110 Proof (55% ABV) | 750ml

Exceptionally small-batch and rooted in the traditional agave-distilling practices of Durango, Mexico, Pal' Alma Ensamble Durango Destilado de Agave is produced by Maestro Ventura Gallegos from an ensamble of Verde and Lamparillo agaves. Bottled at a powerful 55% ABV (110 proof) in a 750ml bottle, this release comes from an extraordinarily limited batch of only 36 bottles. Its production incorporates an underground stone oven, hand processing with stone and axe, wild fermentation in poplar wood vats, natural spring water, and double distillation in a copper still with a wooden cap.

Process & Production

Pal' Alma Ensamble Durango is produced in Durango, Mexico, by Maestro Ventura Gallegos using an ensamble of Verde and Lamparillo agaves.

The agave is cooked in a conical stone oven built into the ground, translated from the bottle's “horno cónico de piedra al piso.” This underground cooking method slowly transforms the agave before it moves to the next stage of production.

After cooking, the agave is processed using a stone pounding area and an axe, based on the bottle's “pila de piedra al piso y hacha.” This hands-on method breaks down the cooked agave in preparation for fermentation.

Fermentation occurs naturally with wild yeasts in poplar wood vats (“levaduras silvestres en pilas de madera de álamo”). The water source is natural spring water (manantial).

The fermented agave then undergoes double distillation in a copper still with a wooden cap, translated from “doble en alambique de cobre y montera de madera.” The production information also identifies puntas y colas, the heads and tails portions of the distillation, as part of the alcoholic-strength adjustment.

The finished spirit is bottled at a substantial 55% ABV (110 proof).

Appearance

Crystal clear and brilliant, keeping the focus on the character of the Verde and Lamparillo agaves and the flavors developed through cooking, wild fermentation, and distillation.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Expressive cooked agave with earthy and mineral aromas, fresh herbs, subtle fruit, and rustic fermentation character.

Palate: Powerful and concentrated with roasted agave, minerals, herbs, pepper, earth, and subtle fruit, supported by the substantial structure of its 110-proof bottling strength.

Finish: Long, warming, and persistent with lingering agave, minerals, pepper, herbs, and earthy complexity.

What Makes It Special

Pal' Alma Ensamble Durango brings together two agave varieties—Verde and Lamparillo—within an exceptionally small production of only 36 bottles.

Its production methods further distinguish the release. The agaves are cooked underground in a conical stone oven, processed using stone and an axe, and naturally fermented with wild yeasts in poplar wood vats. Natural spring water provides the water source for production.

Distillation is equally distinctive, with the fermented agave undergoing two distillations in a copper still fitted with a wooden cap. The use of puntas y colas in adjusting the alcoholic strength adds another traditional element to the production process.

Bottling at 55% ABV (110 proof) preserves a powerful presentation of the spirit, making this a particularly distinctive example of small-scale agave distillation from Durango.

How to Enjoy

Best enjoyed neat in a copita or traditional agave-spirit tasting glass. At 110 proof, give the spirit several minutes to rest after pouring, allowing its agave, mineral, herbal, earthy, and fermentation-driven characteristics to develop.

Because this particular batch consists of only 36 bottles, it is especially suited to slow tasting and comparison with other traditional regional agave distillates.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the alcohol content of Pal' Alma Ensamble Durango?
It is bottled at 55% ABV (110 proof).

What agaves are used?
This Ensamble is produced from Verde and Lamparillo agaves.

Who produces this expression?
The Maestro listed for this batch is Ventura Gallegos.

Where is it produced?
It is produced in Durango, Mexico.

How is the agave cooked?
The production information states “horno cónico de piedra al piso,” describing a conical stone oven built into the ground.

How is the cooked agave processed?
The bottle lists “pila de piedra al piso y hacha,” indicating a traditional process involving stone and an axe.

How is it fermented?
It undergoes natural fermentation with wild yeasts in poplar wood vats.

What type of water is used?
The production information lists natural spring water (manantial).

How is Pal' Alma Ensamble Durango distilled?
It is double distilled in a copper still with a wooden cap (montera de madera).

What are “puntas y colas”?
Puntas and colas refer to the heads and tails portions of the distillation. The bottle identifies these as part of the process used for adjusting the final alcoholic strength.

How limited is this release?
This particular batch consists of only 36 bottles.

What is the bottle size?
This expression comes in a 750ml bottle.

Pricing & Availability

This listing includes one 750ml bottle of Pal' Alma Ensamble Durango Destilado de Agave, bottled at 110 proof (55% ABV) and produced as part of a batch of only 36 bottles. Available now on our website while supplies last.

Brand Story

Pal' Alma highlights traditional Mexican agave distillates by placing individual maestros, regional agave varieties, and local production practices at the center of each release. Rather than presenting every batch as a standardized spirit, these bottlings preserve the identity of the producer and the methods used in the region where the agave is distilled.

Ensamble Durango embodies that philosophy through the work of Maestro Ventura Gallegos and an ensamble of Verde and Lamparillo agaves. From underground stone cooking and axe processing to wild fermentation in poplar wood and double distillation in copper with a wooden cap, the production details tell the story of the spirit. With just 36 bottles in this batch and a bottling strength of 110 proof, it is an exceptionally small-scale expression of Durango's agave-distilling tradition.