Alma del Jaguar Should Be One of Your Favorite Tequilas

The upstart agave brand embraces wild fermentation — and wild jaguar preservation

February 5, 2025 11:30 am EST
Alma Del Jaguar bottle and an agave
The jaguar isn't just part of the label design.
Alma Del Jaguar

What we’re drinking: Various tequilas from Alma del Jaguar, including their new añejo expression

Where it’s from: Morningside Brands is the producer and importer of Alma del Jaguar, a new eco-conscious brand that’s already hyped as the second fastest-growing tequila brand in the United States. All of their additive-free tequila is crafted at NOM 1414 in Arandas, Jalisco with the help of the fifth-generation Vivanco tequila family and master distiller Sergio Cruz.

Why we’re drinking these: Besides great taste, the mission behind Alma del Jaguar is reflected in its moniker. The brand was created by spirits entrepreneur McCauley Williams, who was inspired by his uncle’s commitment to wild jaguar preservation in northern Mexico.

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“I was a corporate attorney, and I realized I did not love practicing law every day,” Williams says. “But I had a client who had a vodka distillery that failed, and I became fascinated by that.” Williams and a few investor friends bought out the vodka brand and turned the distillery toward whiskey, launching Blue Note bourbon. 

Wanting to do his own thing, Williams noted he was drinking more tequila socially. “I became tequila curious,” he says. “At the same time, my uncle was living in Mexico, studying and helping to preserve wild jaguars. So I had him join me for my explorations.”

After finding a tequila partner, Williams decided to tie the endeavor into his uncle’s work (“I wanted to do something more than just a brand”). So Alma del Jaguar donates proceeds directly to and fundraises for conservation organizations — like the Northern Jaguar Project — that help protect wild jaguars in Mexico and the United States. They also make sustainability a core mission, utilizing recycled glass bottles, agave fiber labels, repurposed cork and recycled cardboard boxes. 

As for the tequila, Williams and the Alma team spent about 10 months designing a blanco that would offer some sweetness but emphasize citrus and floral notes. This was achieved by utilizing a mix of wild yeast and Champagne yeast for the fermentation and distilling to a higher ABV than most tequilas. 

How they taste: All of Alma del Jaguar’s tequilas are crafted from sustainably-grown blue weber agave, cultivated at more than 6,800 feet in the highlands of Los Altos de Jalisco.

  • Blanco: A nice melange of citrus, black pepper, grapefruit and orange, with an underlying grassiness and minerality
  • Reposado: The rare repo that keeps its earthy, agave flavor, fruitier notes and minerality but adds just enough vanilla and oak spice for the barrels to elevate to something rather elegant.  
  • Nocturna (Fall 2024): A seasonal release (see below), this high-proof blanco (50.5% ABV) offers decidedly more kick and peppery spice but still manages to maintain all of the core blanco’s best notes. 
  • Añejo: The latest expression is a small-batch release that combines three individually aged lots in American and French oak barrels. There’s a creamy mouthfeel here (credit the French oak?) along with hints of baking spices, citrus and vanilla. It’s lighter and more agave-forward than a typical añejo. 

Fun fact: Why a spring and fall release of Nocturna? It’s the only release that sees 100% wild yeast in its fermentation, and seasonality seems to affect its flavor. “Those two times is where I found the most juxtaposed flavors, with the only difference being the production season,” Williams says. “In the spring, the agaves have less water, so you’re going to get more herbal notes, spice and pepperiness. In the fall batch, the agaves have more water in them, and there’s also more water in the air that impacts fermentation, and it brings out a more agave-forward sweetness.”

Where to buy: You can buy Alma del Jaguar tequilas directly on their site or from Seelbach’s. Prices range from $53 to $80.

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