Raicilla is distilled from the agave plant, but from different species than Tequila or Mezcal. Most Raicilla is produced in the southwestern portion of the Mexican state of Jalisco. In 2019, Raicilla received its Denomination of Origin. Raicilla can be produced within 16 municipalities of the state of Jalisco and one in the state of Nayarit. 

Rumor has it that Don Ruben discovered chemical compounds in the agave Maximiliana that are outside of what is regularly seen in the agave family, and that these compounds have strong therapeutic and health benefits.  Some attribute this Raicilla to Don Ruben’s ability to have 17 children, all of them female.

Unlike Mezcal, Raicilla is never smoky, but has complex savory and fruit notes that set it far apart from Tequila and other Agave distillates. La Venenosa's orange label, Sierra del Tigre, has a big nose full of sagebrush, petrichor, and aged cheeses, with an exceptionally lush and creamy palate replete with lactic notes and citrus, leading into minerality and deep spice emerging from the depths of this rare spirit. Even at a high proof, Sierra de Tigre drinks as easily as desert rainwater, if desert rainwater tasted like spicy cheese and snake venom. 

Raicillero: Don Ruben Peña Fuentes 

Agave: A. inaequidens (one of two varieties of agave allowed for 'Raicilla de la Sierra')

Town: Mascota, Jalisco