To create this unique aguardiente, maestro aguardientero Orlando Vásquez mills the juice from freshly cut sugar cane, slowly boils it, and then passes the resulting syrup into cone shaped wooden molds where it hardens. The outcome is an unrefined whole cane sugar that is referred to locally as Panela. The cones are eventually rehydrated, and fermented with spring water. Orlando then uses firewood to distill that mash in his four plate, continuous copper still.
Tasting notes: Mamey, nutmeg, dulce de leche, fresh panela, lemon cream pie, banana chewing gum, mint chocolate chip, burnt milk.
Orlando Vásquez
A second-generation cane farmer and first generation aguardiente producer, Orlando and his family have historically focused on the production of unrefined sugar called “Panela” or “Piloncillo.” Just over a decade ago, Orlando decided to experiment with the distillation of rehydrated Panela, as well as fresh pressed cane juice, and has spent the last few years perfecting his craft.