Memorable Mezcal Arroqueño

Memorable Arroqueño is a wild-agave mezcal from in and around Miahuatlan, Oaxaca, bottled joven. It is made from Arroqueño, a form of Agave americana and one of the largest and slowest of the wild magueyes, taking well over a decade to mature. That long growth shows in a big, savoury, cooked-agave body with far less of the obvious sweetness of Espadin.

Memorable works like a curator, selecting mezcals from several producers around Miahuatlan with a focus on wild agave, so batches can vary as different makers supply the same species from the same region. The nose is dark, earthy and spiced, with leather, pale tobacco, roasted agave and ripe melon. The palate is very oily and full, an explosion of tropical fruit, banana, pineapple and mango, balanced by savoury sea salt, mint and a fine mineral note of clay. At 47.5% it stays rich without losing the agave.