Gracias a Dios Mezcal Tepeztate

Gracias a Dios is made in Santiago Matatlan, the dense heart of Oaxacan mezcal country, by Maestro Oscar Hernandez Santiago. This single agave bottling uses Tepeztate, Agave marmorata, a wild maguey of the marmorata family with a wild irregular leaf structure that can take up to twenty five years to mature, thriving on steep cliff faces. It is an artesanal joven, copper distilled and bottled at 45%, with three new agaves planted for every bottle filled.
Tepeztate is among the most herbaceous magueys, and the nose here leads with asparagus, celery and green pepper, joined by a floral clove note and sweet crystallised lemon. Chalk and limestone give an aromatic mineral lift, while cereal and yeast notes recall rye bread. Pit roasting adds only a gentle smoke, keeping the focus on the green, spicy and mineral character of this slow growing agave. Bright, complex and distinctly wild.