SOUTH AFRICA – Spearhead Spirits, an award-winning premium African spirits company, has introduced Sango African Agave, a small-batch, ultra-premium agave spirit, to the South African market.  

The Sango Agave line includes two expressions: a blanco and a reposado. 

The name Sango is derived from Shango, the African god of thunder and lightning. The reposado is described as an “African take on Tequila,” honoring Mexican agave mythology.  

According to Chris Frederick, co-founder of Spearhead Spirits, Sango Blanco offers a clean and floral finish with a light aroma of sweet agave.  

In contrast, Sango Reposado, aged in South African red wine barrels, features a delicate oak finish with hints of vanilla, butterscotch, and caramel. The company emphasizes that no additives are used 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.” 

Sango aims to combine the traditional craft of agave farming and production, perfected in Mexico, with the fertile grounds of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), a region where agave has flourished for over a century.  

The blanco (40% ABV) retails for US$45, while the reposado (40% ABV) is priced at US$55. 

Spearhead Spirits, co-founded by Frederick and Timeyin in 2021, aims to connect the world to Africa through African-made spirits.  

The company launched Bayab, a palm and pineapple gin, in February and is focused on international expansion. In July 2022, Spearhead raised US$3 million in funding to support its growth ambitions. 

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