Cráneo Espadín Mezcal

Cráneo, Spanish for "skull," is an organic espadín mezcal from David Ravandi, the distiller and agave obsessive behind 123 Spirits and 123 Tequila, made with local maestro mezcaleros in Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca, the town that calls itself the world capital of mezcal. It is produced under NOM O425X from 100% espadín (Agave angustifolia), hand-selected and grown at about 5,600 feet, and certified organic by both the USDA and the EU. Production is traditional start to finish: the piñas are roasted in a charred earthen pit oven, crushed by a stone tahona, fermented naturally, and double distilled in small batches in copper pot stills, then bottled unaged as a joven at 42% ABV (84 proof). The hand-blown bottle and skull artwork were designed with Van Heertum Design and draw on Aztec imagery. Drinkhacker's review found sweet barbecue smoke layered with citrus on the nose, orange and grapefruit peel, green banana and spun sugar on the palate with a modest smokiness, and a finish of iodine and a touch of anise, calling it balanced and restrained next to more aggressively smoky mezcals. That restraint makes it an easy entry point, whether neat or in a mezcal margarita or Negroni.

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