Tecuán Mezcal Ensamble Espadin & Papalote

Tecuan Espadin and Papalote is a joven mezcal from the state of Guerrero, made from the rare wild Papalote agave, Agave cupreata, and the classic cultivated espadin, Agave angustifolia. Cupreata needs ten to twelve years to mature against espadin's roughly seven, and the pairing of these very different magueyes gives a broad, complex profile. The name comes from the Nahuatl Tecuani, a jaguar native to Guerrero and Michoacan.
Each agave is handled apart. The piñas are roasted for around seventy two hours in stone lined, wood fired earth pits, then crushed in mechanical mills. The cupreata ferments in open wooden vats while the espadin ferments in steel tanks, and both are double distilled in copper before the two mezcals are blended to a chosen ratio. The result is fresh and sweet under a soft smoke, with tropical fruit, coffee and chocolate alongside citrus peel, wet earth and meadow herbs.