Agave de Cortes Mezcal Espadin

Agave de Cortes Espadin is the entry joven from Casa Cortes, the sixth generation Santiago Matatlan family that also makes the rare El Jolgorio and Nuestra Soledad lines. It is built on estate grown Espadin and made by maestro mezcalero Francisco Cortes Hernandez, an accessible introduction to the house style at an appealing strength, bottled with no barrel ageing.
The agave is pit roasted, crushed with a stone tahona, fermented with ambient yeast and twice distilled in copper before direct bottling. That classic Valles Centrales method gives a balanced, approachable mezcal where every flavour sits within easy reach. The nose is sweet and fruity with green leaves, blackberry, black nanche and herbs over cooked maguey, while the palate is light and faintly oily, saline and mildly minty with a touch of spice and a discreet thread of roasting smoke. Bottled at 45%.