Gracias a Dios Mezcal Espadin Pechuga

This is a pechuga mezcal from Gracias a Dios, the Santiago Matatlan house run by maestro mezcalero Oscar Hernandez Santiago. Built on Espadin, it belongs to the destilado con category, a joven taken through a celebratory third distillation that Hernandez made in honour of the Day of the Dead. Cacao, nuts, banana, apple, pineapple and raisins gathered after the festivities ride in the still alongside wild turkey breast, a technique that rounds the spirit rather than making it meaty.
The agave is pit roasted, the tough fibred piñas are mechanically broken then tahona pressed, fermented at the family palenque and twice distilled in copper before the pechuga run. The protein and fruit lift the aromatics without dominating. Expect cooked agave and marigold over papaya and banana, then a warm, sweet and spiced palate of cinnamon, allspice and white pepper carried by steady roasting smoke. Bottled at 45%.