FAQ
Sierra Norte Whiskey is committed to our Mission of preservation of Heirloom Corns, fair trade in commerce and delivering a superior quality, great tasting product to our customers.
What is the Mash Bill?
The Sierra Norte Whiskey’s mash is made with a pure grain 85% Corn Criollo and 15% malted Barley. The Barley is sourced from Mexican Beer Suppliers.
The mash is then double distilling in Pot stills where the refining is done in copper stills.How is the Whiskey Aged?
All the Sierra Norte Whiskey matured in French Oak Barrels. It is single barrel bottling for maximum appreciation of all the wonderful and magical nuances that happen in the different barrels. Barrel aging is an art not a science.
What is Heirloom Corn?
Oaxaca is the origin/birthplace of corn in the world. It has been growing in this region naturally for over 7,000 years. This ancestral corn is called Maiz Criollo in Oaxaca.
What is unique about Heirloom Corn?
This corn grows in many colors. We have white, yellow and black. We are working on reviving the red and green, etc. from extinction. There are multi colored corn cobs also. We are building seed banks to preserve this heritage of “open Pollinated seeds” which are not hybrid nor GMO corns.
How is the Corn Grown?
The growers are single village small family farmers. They are subsistence level farmers. They are preserving the tradition and the culture of the criollo corn in Oaxaca that has been passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years. This is sustainable agriculture.
Is the Corn Estate Grown?
Yes, some of it is but most is grown by the traditional farmers.
How Are the Stills Designed/Made?
Some are made onsite, some are made by craftsmen who hand pound copper into stills for the Mezcal industry. They are all pot stills.
How Are the Stills Designed/Made?
The growers are single village small family farmers. They are subsistence level farmers. They are preserving the tradition and the culture of the criollo corn in Oaxaca that has been passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years. This is sustainable agriculture.
Is the Whiskey Chill Filtered?
No.
What Type of Barrels are Used for Aging?
Bordeaux and Bourgogne red wine barrels.
What Type of Barrels are Used for Aging?
The growers are single village small family farmers. They are subsistence level farmers. They are preserving the tradition and the culture of the criollo corn in Oaxaca that has been passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years. This is sustainable agriculture.
Explain Your Fair trade practices
We pay 2 to 3 times the market price of GMO corn for the Criollo corn. This way the traditional farmers can earn a fair wage, ie as much money as the GMO farmers and the imported corn suppliers.
We promise to buy their whole crop at fair trade prices, so that they have economic security.
We offer long term purchasing plans at fair trade prices so that the farmers have economic security and don’t have to migrate to the USA for jobs .How Experienced is the Master Distiller?
Master distiller Douglas French has been hand crafting fine spirits the old fashioned way for over 20 years – making natural mashes and slow double distillation in pot stills.
610 Calle Piru
San Agustin de las Juntas, Oaxaca
Mexico 71260
Distilled and bottled exclusively by ScorpionMezcal SA de CV, Oaxaca, Mexico
Imported by Caballeros Inc./Park Street Imports, Miami, Fl.