Koch El Mezcal Ancestral Joven Maguey Espadin de Jayacatlan

Koch is one of the two mezcals a Mezcal PhD tasting group acclaimed above everything else on the table, and its Ancestral line is made the oldest way there is. Koch El Mezcal works with maestros across Oaxaca's mezcal regions, bottling each village and agave separately; the Ancestral designation, the strictest under Mexican law, means the agave was roasted in an earthen pit, crushed by hand with mallets or a tahona, fermented in wood or stone or hide, and distilled in clay pot stills over a wood fire. This bottle is espadín from Jayacatlán — a village in the Sierra Norte foothills north of Oaxaca City, far from the Matatlán valley that most espadín comes from — pit-roasted, hand-crushed, wild-fermented, and clay-pot distilled, bottled unaged; check your label for the maestro, lot, and ABV. Clay distillation lends an earthy, mineral softness copper never gives, and Jayacatlán espadín runs sweeter and more floral than Matatlán's: expect a nose of cooked agave, honey, wet clay, and white flowers over gentle smoke, opening into a rounded, sweet-savory palate with citrus, pepper, and a mineral thread, finishing long and soft. Honest note: an ancestral clay-pot espadín is a very different animal from a Matatlán copper one — taste them side by side and the difference is the whole education. Neat, in a copita. Espadín, from the clay pots of Jayacatlán.

Buy Koch El Mezcal Ancestral Joven Maguey Espadin de Jayacatlan online with fast shipping right to your door.