Located in the north of Durango towards Sinaloa, El Platanar sits in a sub-tropical valley surrounded by high mountain ranges creating a unique microclimate. A cultivated agave from the Espadin family grown on the steep mountainsides, only accessible by ATV. Carlos Ruiz crafts his incredible mezcals with native yeast and a hybrid copper still with a refractor, resulting in an incredibly textural and complex spirit.

Cultivated Maguey Chacaleño (A. Angustifolia) is harvested at 8-10 years depending on site, maturity and sugar content. The agaves are pit-cooked underground with volcanic stones for 7 days. Cooked agaves are milled using a ‘hebrador’ or mechanical mill. Fermentation occurs over 3-5 days in “piletas”, plastic-lined earthen pools with agave fibres, Distilled twice using hybrid copper/wooden stills with a stainless steel refractor. The first dilation is completed with agave fibres in the still. It takes approximately 12-15kg of raw Chacaleño agave to produce 1 finished litre of mezcal.