Bozal Mezcal Jabali Reserva

Jabalí is the agave that doesn't want to be mezcal. Agave convallis foams so violently in the still that it can boil over and ruin a batch, which is why most mezcaleros won't touch it — and why a proper jabalí is rare, expensive, and prized. Bozal, the Oaxacan house whose name means "wild," put it in its Reserva series, the top tier reserved for the rarest wild agaves, produced in remote villages and distilled in clay pots in the ancestral method. The jabalí is wild-harvested from the hillsides, pit-roasted, crushed, naturally fermented, and distilled in clay, bottled at cask-strength-adjacent proof in the black ceramic Reserva bottle; check the label for the mezcalero and ABV. Wine Enthusiast scored it 91 points. Expect what the foam is fighting for: a nose of wet stone, green herbs, and something faintly fermented, opening into a dense, oily palate of cooked agave, bitter greens, earthy minerality, and a savory, almost umami depth, with the clay-pot distillation lending a rustic softness, finishing very long, dry, and complex with a whisper of smoke. Honest note: this is a connoisseur's mezcal, unusual by design — drinkers new to the category should start with the Ensamble. For anyone who's worked through espadín and tobalá and wants to taste why jabalí has a cult, it's one of the most distinctive bottles in Bozal's range. Neat, in a copita, with time.

Buy Bozal Mezcal Jabali Reserva online with fast shipping right to your door.