On my first visit to report about the growing of agave at Rancho La Paloma on the Gaviota Coast, Anthony Caspary of Ventura Spirits brought the first tiny batch he’d made from the first plucked plants. It was a bit rough, but reminiscent of a blanco tequila. Months later, I tried the first commercial batch, which actually include a pina that I personally delivered. It was smoother, but there was a core white spirit flavor that felt a tad generic.
I tasted the second batch in early December, and the progress is promising. The distilled agave spirit shows a slightly more resinous nose, reflective of those sweet agave fibers, as well as a smoked sea salt touch, but without being overtly smoky. It’s fiery on the palate, with white pepper spice and intriguing bay leaf and green sage notes, leading into a slightly caramelized, still peppery finish. I can’t wait for more. The third batch should hit shelves in March.
See VenturaSpirits.com.