Animas Mezcal Ensamble Espadin & Papalometl

Animas Espadin and Papalometl is a joven ensamble mezcal made in 2014 by mezcaleros Luis and Humberto Juan in Santiago Matatlan, Oaxaca, from Papalometl, the local name for wild Agave cupreata, blended with cultivated espadin. Cupreata is far scarcer than espadin and needs roughly eight to twelve years to mature, bringing fruity, savoury, tropical character, while the espadin lends sweetness and balance.
The agave is cooked in a conical earth oven, a horno de piedra, crushed with a tahona, fermented in wood and double distilled in copper. The two species are cooked, fermented and distilled together as a single ensamble rather than blended after the fact. The result is sweet and layered, with tropical fruit, banana and mango from the papalometl, fine mineral and graphite notes, green chilli and herbs, and a thread of honey and caramel through a soft finish.