Prices are those listed by our Ukiah CA neighbor Caddell & Williams. At your local store, the price(s) may vary significantly, due to transportation costs, state excise taxes, and the pricing structure of the store and of the distributor.

“In my list of top spirits. Remarkable and complex”
– Anthony Dias Blue/TASTING PANEL MAGAZINE

“One of the best my taste buds have evaluated.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ / Highest recommendation”
– Paul Pacult/SPIRIT JOURNAL

Tasting Alipus

The Alipus bottlings show you the variations created in mezcals distilled from a single species of agave, the domesticated agave espadín, by elevation, soil, terrain, and method of distillation.

The question we get asked most is, how do these mezcals differ from their name-protected mezcal cousins from Tequila? First, artisan mezcals are smoky because the agaves are not steamed in an autoclave (modern industrial tequila production), or roasted in an enclosed oven (like many small-production tequilas), but roasted in an in-ground fire-pit above a live wood fire. All Alipus bottlings tend to have a smoky overtone. Second, artisan mezcal producers distill the agave solids along with the fermented agave juice, whereas tequila producers filter the solids out and distill liquids only. For this reason, artisan mezcals embody more of the vegetal components of the agave, thus are noticeably more complex and, to our taste, richer.

Releases 

ALIPUS San Andrés: fermented in cypress vats & distilled by Don Valente Angel from agave espadín grown on a plateau at about 5000 feet: rolling low hills and terraces, with thin ferriferous soils, near Miahuatlan. The local practice is to add some madrecuishe to the roast. Complex, rich, intensely floral. 47.3% abv – $48.

ALIPUS San Andrés XXth anniversary: a one-time single-batch distillation of semi-wild madrecuishe (agave Karwinskii) by Anastasio Aragón Martinez, a neighbor of Don Valente. Madrecuishe is a specialty of the Miahuatlan region, high-latitude rolling hills with red clay-shale soils; look for a refreshing acerbity and dark chocolate in the finish. 47.5% abv – $120

ALIPUS San Baltazar Guélavila: fermented in very old pine vats & distilled by Don Cosmé Hernandez and his son Cirilo from agave espadín grown at about 5700 feet in hilly, white, & rocky soil. It’s the most popular Alipus in Mexico and we can’t always have it in stock. Soft, delicate, fruity minerality, slightly sweet. 47.5% abv – $48.

ALIPUS XX Anniversary Edition San Baltazar: A single batch of wild Sierrudo (agave Americana) a scarce variant of this species (which includes coyote and arroqueño). very large, fat, and slow to mature. Cirilo Hernandez’ mezcals are always nicely soft. Very rich in fruit, with the intensity of growing wild for a long time. 750 ml / 46% abv $120.00

ALIPUS San Juan del Rio: fermented in oak vats & distilled by Rodolfo Juan Juarez in the Cruz family distillery along the river, using non-irrigated agave espadín grown in sunny mountain-top plantings in ferriferous soil at 4600 feet. Fruity, rich, smokey, pleasantly sweet. 47.5% abv  $48.

ALIPUS XX Anniversary Edition San Juan:Single-batch from tepeztate and espadín agaves, to celebrate 20 years of Alipus, the first exported mezcal with a social motive. San Juan was the first Alipus producer. 48% abv $120

ALIPUS San Luis del Rio: fermented in pine vats & distilled by Don Baltazar Cruz Gomez from agave espadín grown at about 4000 feet in steep and sandy soils. San Luis gets hot and the agaves yield mezcals with rich flavor. Spicy, round, and soft. 47.5% abv – $48.

ALIPUS San Luis del Rio XXth anniversary: Single-batch from tepeztate and espadín  agaves, to celebrate 20 years of Alipus, the first exported mezcal with a social motive. San Juan was the first Alipus producer. 48% abv- $120

ALIPUS San Miguel de Sola XXth anniversary: a one-time very small single-batch distillation of wild tobalá (agave potatorum): the San Miguel clay pots yield about 25 liters per second distillation. Tobalá is the most elegant mezcal, subtle and very deep. Clay gives it a lovely colloidal mouthfeel. 47.5% abv – $120.

 ALIPUS San Miguel de Sola: fermented in oak vats & distilled in small clay potstills by Felipe de Jesus Rios, Leonardo Rojas Garcia, and Felix Garcia Jimenez from espadín and semi-wild arroqueño (agave Americana) grown at about 3200 feet in very steep ferriferous soils. fruity and intense. 47.4% abv $72

ALIPUS Santa Ana Del Rio: fermented in slender pine vats & distilled by Doña Minerva Hernández from agave espadín. The pueblo is at 4000 feet but the local agaves are grown higher up grown at about 5200 feet in mountainous sandy calciferous siols. Balanced and very cleanly distilled: our favorite. Soft and lightly fruity. 47.5% abv – $48.

Special Bottlings

Alipus ENSAMBLE from San Andrés – $65. A rich and elegant blend including some 20% semi-wild agave bicuishe.

“Vivid nose with spice… earthy and textured”
Anthony Dias Blue/TASTING PANEL MAGAZINE