Agave

Agave spirits are a category of distilled spirits native to Mexico and their production dates back as far as the 16th century. The most commonly known agave spirit is tequila, which is itself a type of mezcal. Other varieties also include raicilla and baconora.

The agave plant is part of a centuries-old genus with strong historical and cultural roots in Mexico. Its use in distilling involves removing its heavy leaves to reveal the heart of the plant, known as the piña, which is then cooked. The name mezcal actually comes from the Nahuatl words Metl and Ixcalli, which mean “agave” and “cooked.” The piña is then crushed to release its juices which are fermented and, usually, double-distilled to produce the agave spirit. When aged, the majority of agave spirits are placed into ex-bourbon barrels so will ordinarily be 200 litres in size.

A modern addition to the world of whisky maturation, the use of casks that formerly contained agave spirits was not permitted by Scotch Whisky Association regulations until an update in its Scotch Whisky Technical file in 2019. The changes to the organisations strict regulations on cask maturation were significant and also permitted the use of ex-calvados and cachaça barrels, as well as those that formerly aged east Asian sprits such as shochu and baijiu. Diageo is believed to have been one of the key lobby groups that pushed for the change in ruling, with the drinks giant looking to use barrels from its Don Julio brand tequila to age its whisky. As a result, the company's Buchanan's Two Souls blend became the first ever tequila cask-aged Scotch whisky. In fact, the product was announced in May 2019, a full month in advance of the official announcement of the regulation changes by the SWA.