Cascahuin 11 Brix Tequila is a 2022 special release that was followed by the coveted Aniversario and the Cerro de Luz releases.
11 Brix highlights (and celebrates) the most important part of tequila production: Fermentation. The expression’s emphasis on this step in the production process is what initially drew me in.
This tequila started out as the Cascahuin we all know and love: agaves from the valley, cooked in brick ovens, and then milled with a roller mill. When it came time for fermentation, maestro tequilero and owner Salvador “Chava” Rosales divided the cooked agave into the three fermenting tanks used at Cascahuin distillery: stainless steel, cement, and wooden.
After fermentation, each Mosto (the fermented agave juice in the tanks) contained 11 brix, which is a measurement of sugar levels. Hence, the name of the tequila is not a derivative of the brix of the agave- which would be much higher than 11- but rather, the fermented agave juice is where it gets its name from.
Chava distilled each Mosto separately to showcase the differences in each different fermentation style. I don’t have a video uploaded on this (at least not yet), but this video by Grover from Tequila Matchmaker explains it pretty well:
@tequilamatchmaker The latest special release from Tequila Cascahuin will be called “11 Brix” and only 4,500 bottles will be released. #tequila #cascahuinando ♬ original sound – TequilaMatchmaker
To sum it up…
Cement tanks = Strong, natural agave sweetness
Stainless Steel tanks = sharp, grassy
Wood tanks = well-rounded, earthy + complex finish
After fermentation, Cascahuin 11 Brix Tequila was bottled at still strength at 53 abv with only 4,500 bottles ever made.
Cascahuin 11 Brix (Blanco)
MSRP: $150 to $175 (But who knows where the secondary market will be!)
Cascahuin Website | Buy other Cascahuin expressions on Sip Tequila
Aroma: Immediately when I opened the bottle, I was hit by a strong punch of cooked agave. If you have ever had the chance to check out the brick ovens at Cascahuin, it smells just like that. It has a beautiful buttery nose that I suspect to be from the cement tanks, and it finishes with a careful blend of a citrus and peppery minerality that is more than familiar to Cascahuin.
Flavor: The first sip is to just adjust your palate to something at 106 proof, but at the second sip, man, do you really begin to enjoy the complexities of this beautiful tequila. Right at the tip of your tongue, you’ll experience a transformation from black pepper to a citrusy, fruity, tropical explosion that takes over the mouth and is just delicious. The mouthfeel is one of my favorites because it is so buttery, similar to a rich chardonnay. I also appreciate just how balanced this expression is. No flavor overpowers another; they work in perfect unison as the sweet, buttery, and tropical flavors mellow down, and it finishes off with a briny minerality that I typically enjoy from Cascahuin. This is an incredible experiment that shows us just how important fermentation is and how that can change a tequila entirely. When you combine them all it can create some of the best tequilas I’ve tried. I just love it so much.
Lucas’s Rating out of 100: I would give it an honest 93 or 94. It is an incredible product, not to mention it is also collectible, rare, and decently priced at MSRP. Overall, it is the perfect recipe for me.