spirits list AGAVE ilegal Joven $12 | $7 MEZCAL Ilegal Reposado $19 | $10 La Medida $18 | $10 AGAVE ANGUSTIFOLIA Espadin | Chato Espadin • Rio Golea, Oaxaca • 49.54% • Copper • Celso Luis Santiago Almost 90% of mezcals are made with Agave Angustifolia. The Espadin coming from Oaxaca is what gave mezcal its fame, more or less. These plants mature Nuestra Soledad Ejutla $16 | $9 in about 10-12 years, are hardy and produce a lot of sugar and juice to make Espadin • La Compania, Ejutla, Oaxaca • 47% • Copper mezcal with. Espadin is the perfect agave to showcase mezcal’s classic flavors • Gregorio Hernández of floral and ripe fruit, herbaceous earth and smoke. Chato is synonymous with Espadin from Jalisco, but is not included as one of the states for making mezcal OUTLIERS... but still AGAVE ANGUSTIFOLIA and thus must be called Destilado de Agave. Alipus San Baltazar $16 | $9 BACANORA Espadin • San Baltazar Guelavila, Oaxaca • 47.4% • Copper • Don Cosmé A type of mezcal from the state of Sonara. Granted its own Denomination Of Hernandez Origin in 2005, Bacanora can only be made with Angustifolia Haw, commonly known as agave Pacifica. Bacanora tends to be lighter on the smoke than other Cruz de Fuego $12 | $7 mezcals and is somewhat acidic, with green vegetal flavors and black pepper. Espadin • Santiago Matatlan, Oaxaca • 45% • Copper • Margarita Blas A nice intro into the world of agave spirits outside of Tequila. Del Maguey Espadin Especial $30 | $16 Rancho Tepua Blanco $18 | $10 Espadin • Santa Maria Albarradas, Oaxaca • 45% • Copper • Pacifica • Aconchi, Sonora • 48% • Steel • Roberto Contreras Don Rogelio Martinez Cruz, Leopoldino Miranda Del Maguey Santo Domingo Albarradas $17 | $9 DESTILADO DE AGAVE Espadin • Santo Domingo, Oaxaca • 48% • Copper • Espiridion Morales Luis Destilado de Agave is a term that is used to label a spirit distilled from agave from a producer that has not certified their spirit for varied reasons, from eco- Del Maguey Vida $12 | $7 nomic problems to social issues. Therefore, they can not legally label it Mezcal Espadin • San Luis del Rio, Oaxaca • 42% • Copper • Pacioano Cruz Nolasco or Tequila, or any other name that has a set of rules and regulations defined by a Denomination of Origin (DO). These spirits will be notes with *. El Jolgorio Espadin $28 | $15 Espadin • Rio Golea, San Pedro Quiatoni, Oaxaca • 47.6% • Copper • Caballito Cerrero Chato $18 | $10 Chato • Amatitan, Jalisco • 46% • Copper, Steel • Don Claudio Jiménez Celso Luis Santiago Hernández * AGAVE RHODACANTHA Dobadaan | Mexicano | Cuixe | Ixtero Amarillo AGAVE POTATORUM Tobala The Rhodacantha agaves are dispersed throughout the Western part The Tobala is the sweetheart of the agave world. These agaves are of Mexico and grow quite large with large teeth on their pencas. This adorably small with beautiful broad leaves, its piña itself is about species has a preference for foothills and pine forests. They produce the size of a pumpkin. They grow in the wild nestled in the shade some of the more intense mezcales and are good if you´re seeking of oak trees up in highly elevated rocky terrains; like a truffle of something on the smokier, oily and herbal side. the agave world. They boast long roots that break through lime- stone rocks contributing in search of nutrients. These mezcals are El Jolgorio Mexicano $28 | $15 delicate, lightly sweet with briny notes and tropical fruits. They are Mexicano • Santa Maria Zoquitlan, Santiago Matatlán • 47% • Copper endlessly complex with long, long finishes. • Ignacio Parada Del Maguey Tobala $28 | $15 Marca Negra Dobadan $28 | $15 Tobala • Santa Maria Albarradas, Oaxaca • 46% • Copper • Don Rogelio Martinez Cruz, Leopoldino Miranda Dobadan • Santa Maria La Pila, Oaxaca • 49% • Copper • Alberto Ortiz El Jolgorio Tobala $30 | $16 Chacolo Ixtero Amarillo $30 | $16 Tobala • San Baltazar Guelavila, Oaxaca • 47% • Copper • Gregorio Ixtero Amarillo • Zapotitlan De Vadillo, Jalisco • 48.5% • Copper Hernandez • Don Macario Partida * AGAVE TEQUILANA Blue Weber AGAVE DURANGENSIS Durangensis | Cenizo Most notably known for the production of tequila, Agave Tequilana Agave Durangensis is the most common agave used for mezcal in the is also distilled by mezcaleros with traditional mezcal processes. Mexican state of Durango. These agaves have bright fruity notes with hints of The result is a spirit that more accurately resembles what Tequilas earth and minerality with a rich mouth-feel. used to taste like. Mezcales de Leyenda Durango $20 | $11 Del Maguey San Luis del Rio Azul $30 | $16 Cenizo • Nombre de Dios, Durango • 47% • Copper • Ventura Gallegos Azul • San Luis del Rio, Oaxaca • 4 by 7% • Copper • Marcos Cruz Mendez, Paciano Cruz Nolasco Hacienda Mezcal Dolores $13 | $7 Cenizo • Hacienda Dolores, Durango • 43% • Copper & Wood • Enrique de Derrumbes Zacatecas $18 | $10 la Cruz Azul • Huitzila, Zacatecas • 48% • Copper • Jaime Bañuelos AGAVE AMERICANA AGAVE CUPREATA Cupreata | Papalome Arroqueno | Sierra Negra | Coyote Giants, up to 10 feet wide! Arroqueño is the genetic mother of the The genetic grandparent of the famed Tobala agave. These are Espadín and can take upwards of 20 years to mature. Along with short and stocky with broad leaves and generally a little larger than the typical tropical fruit notes, the mezcals can be earthy, funky tobala. They are found mostly growing wild in Michoacán and Guer- and a touch herbaceous. Their abundance of sugars keeps all the rero. Certain regions call mezcal made from cupreata “Papalomé,” flavors in balance, even at higher proofs. This species is found meaning butterfly. They lean towards earthy and a bit savory, along most commonly in Oaxaca and Puebla, but can be found hiding in with the usual delicate, fruity and floral characteristics associ- other places. ated with mezcal. Del Maguey Wild Papalome $25 | $14 Del Maguey Arroqueno $25 | $13 Arroqueño • Santa Catarina Minas, Oaxaca • 49% • Clay Pot • Florencio Cupreata, Tobala • San Pedro Teozacoalco, Oaxaca • 48% • Clay Pot, Steel Carlos Sarmiento, Florencio Carlos Vasquez • Fernando Caballero Cruz Rey Campero Coyote $28 | $15 Mezcales de Leyenda Guerrero $19 | $10 Coyote • Candelaria Yegole, Oaxaca • 48.7% • Copper • Romulo Sanchez Parada Cupreata • Mazatlan | Xochipala, Guerrero • 45% • Copper • Don Oscar Obregón, Rodolfo Obregon Machetazo Cupreata $15 | $8 AGAVE MARMORATA Tepeztate Cupreata • Mochitlán, Guerrero • 40% • Copper • Jose Morales Uribe Tepeztate has broad twisted leaves and can grow to be quite large and jurassic-like. They grow mainly at very high altitudes and take Siembra Metl Don Mateo Cupreata $16 | $9 12-15 years on average, and in some cases up to 25 years or more. Cupreata • Pino Bonito, Michoacán • 46% • Copper • Emilio Vieyra These mezcals are generally quite floral and herbaceous flavors and can be a little funky and weird. El Jolgorio Tepeztate $32 | $17 Tepeztate • Lachigui, El Palmar, Miahuatlan, Oaxaca • 48% • Copper • Pedro Vasquez Ogarrio Rey Campero Tepeztate $25 | $13 Tepeztate • Candelaria Yegole, Oaxaca • 48% • Copper • Romulo Sanchez Parada AGAVE KARWINSKI Madrecuixe | Barril | Tobaziche | Etc AGAVE CONVALLIS Jabali Karwinskii agaves are almost Doctor Seuss-like with a short stalk that the The rare Agave Jabali is extremely hard to work with: it foams and agave piña and leaves grow on top of, almost resembling a small palm tree. expands during fermentation and distillation, which has led to The importance here is the stalk can also be roasted, fermented and distilled some stills being damaged during distillation as the spirit has along with the piña. There are less sugars and thus less juice so this results been known to burst out of the seams of the still. This agave has in mezcals that are drier, more tannic, herbaceous and not quite as fruity and a distinctly wild attitude, and many of the Jabali mezcals that can floral as others, though still plenty complex and delicious. be found in Oaxaca are still somewhat chaotic and unrefined. But with crazy and unpredictable fermentation comes abundant El Jolgorio Barril $30 | $16 flavor! Creamy yet acidic, floral green melon. Barril • La Compania, Santa Maria Zoquitlan, Ejutla, Oaxaca • 47% • Copper • Gregorio Hernández Rey Campero Jabali $26 | $14 El Jolgorio Tobaziche $35 | $18 Jabalí • Candelaria Yegole, Oaxaca • 48% • Copper • Romulo Sanchez Tobaziche • Agua Del Espino, Ejutla, Oaxaca • 48% • Copper Parada • Pablo Vásquez El Jolgorio Cuishe $28 | $15 Cuishe • Santa Maria Zoquitlan, Oaxaca • 47.8% • Copper • Ignacio Parada AGAVE SALMIANA Salmiana Rey Campero cuishe $ 24 | $13 This agave plant is huge with leaves that are thick, dark green with a large point at the tip and strong spines on the edges. It takes about Candelaria Yegole, Oaxaca • 48% • Copper • Romulo Sanchez Parada 7-10 years to grow and can be found in the highlands of Coahuila, Durango, and San Luis Potosi. These agaves are known for their unique green and funky flavors. Unlike most mezcal that we know as being cooked underground in earthen ovens, in San Luis Potosi, it is tradition- AGAVE WARaSH al to cook the agave in above ground clay ovens similar to tequila that Maguey Warash is endemic to the Sierra Norte, Oaxaca. It is make some of these spirits lack the traditional smoky notes of other currently not classified by the Consejo Regulador del Mezcal (CRM) mezcals, but for what they lack in smoke they make up for in vegetal, and biologists from the CRM have reportedly noted that this agave mineral, robust flavor. is not within the CRM catalog. The agave looks like a cross between agave Rhodacantha (Mexicano) and a smaller type of agave Derrumbes San Luis Potosi $12 | $7 Karwinskii. It takes approximately ten years to reach maturity. Salmiana • Characas, San Luis Potosí • 43% • Copper • Juan Manuel Pérez Juárez Tobsa Warash $35 | $18 Warsh • San Cristobal Lachirioag • 50.65% • Copper • Edgar Gonzalez ENSAMBLES | BLENDS Madre Mezcal $15 | $8 Ensemble is a technique used by skilled mezcaleros that allows Cuishe, Espadin • San Dionisio Ocotepec, Oaxaca • 45% • Copper • them to assemble different agave varieties roasting for one single Jose Garcia Morales batch.