El Jolgorio Mezcal Mexicano

El Jolgorio Mezcal Mexicano is a joven made from Agave Mexicano, the species Rhodacantha, known in parts of Oaxaca by its Zapotec name Dobadaan and grown to a considerable size. It comes from the Casa Cortes collective, which since 2010 has united family maestros across ten Oaxacan regions and hand labels every batch. Mexicano is said to have seven or more sub forms, each leaving its own mark.
Here the nose runs to roasted agave and maple. The palate is straight and lightly smoky through the middle, with a touch of citrus and green capsicum to lift it. Roasted in an underground pit in the artesanal style and bottled unaged at 47 percent, it is a clean, savoury reading of a wild Oaxacan agave, kept undiluted so the cook and the species carry the glass.