Spearhead launches African agave spirit
African producer Spearhead Spirits has released Sango, a spirit made with locally grown agave, in the US.
Sango Agave has two expressions in its range: a blanco and a reposado, the latter of which is rested in South African red wine oak barrels for 120 days. It is described as an 'African take on Tequila' that pays homage to Mexican agave mythology. The name Sango stems from the deity Shango, the African god of thunder and lightning. The spirit is made from African Agave Americana from the Karoo desert and Salmiana agave from South Africa’s Eastern Cape province. The agave plants are selected with a field-tested brix of between 24-35 before being harvested by hand. The agave is then roasted through artisanal methods, in a combination of ovens and fire pits before being double distilled. No additives are added to the spirit before bottling. Damola Timeyin, co-founder of Spearhead Spirits, said: “The development of Sango has been 2.5 years in the making, and has by far been the most challenging spirit to bring to life yet. We’ve had to start essentially from scratch to figure out how to create a high-quality African agave spirit using the very best from the continent. “We’ve visited several African countries to discover where agave grows best. We instinctively believed that wild polyculturally grown agave is better, not just for the environment but also on the palate, and this focus on wild agave takes much more work and time to find the plants that will give you the goods.” Previously just available in South Africa, Sango will be distributed in the US states of New York, Georgia, Illinois, Texas and Florida. It can also be purchased on ReserveBar. The blanco (40% ABV) retails for SRP US$45, while the reposado (40% ABV) has a SRP of US$55. In February, Spearhead launched Bayab, a palm and pineapple gin crafted exclusively from African botanicals. The UK-based company was co-founded by Chris Fredrick and Damola Timeyin in 2021 with the aim of connecting the world to Africa through African-made spirits. It is looking to grow internationally and launch new products, and in July 2022, it raised US$3 million in funding to meet these ambitions. On what Sango can offer to the world, Frederick added: “Just because it’s wild doesn’t mean that it’s perfect and it’s been a painstaking journey to identify the right process of field selecting and testing to give us agave with the flavour profile we’re after. “Tastewise, Sango African agave will be familiar and yet different and appeal to agave and cocktail lovers intrigued by the wild spirit of Africa and looking to explore a fresh take on their favourite Tequila cocktails.” Spearhead Spirits also produces vodka and whisky.
