Sombra Mezcal Artesanal Joven

Sombra was created by master sommelier Richard Betts as a stance against the vodka-ization of agave spirits — a mezcal meant to jump out of a cocktail, and one of the most-poured in America since it arrived in 2006. Sombra means shadow. Since 2017 it's been made at a single company-owned palenque in San Juan del Río, in the Oaxacan Sierra, from organic espadín grown at up to 8,000 feet on contracts with local farmers: hand-harvested, roasted two days in a stone pit over certified sustainable oak rather than mesquite — so the espadín shows through the smoke — crushed by tahona, fermented eight days with native yeast, and distilled in copper, bottled at 45% ABV; the palenque turns spent fibers into adobe bricks. Drinkhacker found immediate barbecue smoke with a tangy apple sweetness, then apple, cherry, ripe banana, caramel, and popcorn — a quite drinkable potion. Alcohol Professor names it among the ten best mezcals in the US: smooth, spicy, fruity, smoky, warming the palate with citrus. Honest note, and it's consistent across reviewers: this is a cocktail mezcal first — Cocktail Society calls it heavy on smoke neat and excellent mixed, Mezcal Reviews calls it one-dimensional but better than any industrialized mezcal. For a mezcal Margarita, a Mezcal Sour, a Frozen Mezcal Paloma, or an Oaxaca Old Fashioned, it's the bartender's shadow. Davos Brands took control in 2017; Betts remains ambassador.

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