Noble Coyote Mezcal Ensamble Espadin & Lyobaá

Noble Coyote builds this joven ensamble around two agaves grown and roasted together, the cultivated Espadín that gives mezcal its balanced backbone and the rare Lyobaá, an endemic maguey that grows only around the Amatlanes in Oaxaca and is treated by the family as a form of Coyote. Production runs across San Luis Amatlán and Santiago Matatlán, and the two species are cooked, fermented and distilled as one to round the wilder plant against the sweeter Espadín.

The nose leans green and fresh, with anise and only a faint thread of pit roasting smoke. On the palate bright herbal notes carry into a soft, fruity, medium finish with a gentle sweetness that pulls the rest into line. Bottled unaged at 45%, it shows the cook and the agaves rather than any wood. The brand pairs this with practical sustainability, pressing spent fibre and labels back into use.