Tasting Notes:  Melly Barajas takes special pride in her female-owned and operated NOM, especially her La Gritona brand which is now available in Indiana. The 10yr old agaves are harvested from the mineral-rich Highlands and placed in clay ovens 24 hours after harvest. The pinas are cooked in the most traditional manner, then rested for 24 hours like a good steak to let the sugars absorb the most flavor from the plant before they begin the crush. Air fermentation, then double distillation in stainless only, then light aging for 8 months in second-use American oak barrels. The result is an earth, grass, pepper, and light vanilla nose with really soft florals and a developing agave wave. Grassiness is like a sweet Rhum Agricole from start to finish. If you're looking for something "different" that's truly terroir and "flavor in production" driven, this is it!