AGAVE DE CORTES ESPADIN AGAVE JOVEN MEZCAL

Casa Cortés distills this mezcal in Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca — the self-styled world capital of mezcal — under Maestro Mezcalero Francisco Cortés Hernández, with the Zapotec family owning the operation outright. The 100% Espadín agave (Agave angustifolia) matures 6 to 12 years, harvested at least 60% capón (with the quiote cut to concentrate sugars in the piña). Production follows tradition: oak-fired conical earthen pit roasting, stone tahona milling, open-air wood vat fermentation, and double distillation in copper pot stills. Subdued smoke frames lemongrass, damp earth, faint fruit, citrus, herbs, and dense clay minerality, with cognac-like sweetness and a silky body at 43% ABV.