Nuestra Soledad Mezcal San Zoquitlan

Nuestra Soledad is the Casa Cortés range of single maker, single village Espadín mezcals from Oaxaca. This joven is made entirely from Espadín in Santa María Zoquitlán, a small village set among rugged ridges and river valleys southeast of Santiago Matatlán, by mezcalero José Parada Valera alongside his father Ignacio, known as Don Chucho, the first maker to join the Casa Cortés collective in 2007.

They harvest wild and semi cultivated agave from the colourful mountain soils behind their palenque. Made in the artesanal style, the agave is pit roasted for its smoky character, then twice distilled and bottled unaged at 47%. It reads aromatic with lemon peel, red pepper, tropical fruit and smoked game, turns full and creamy on the palate with honeysuckle and sandalwood, and finishes long on lychee, stone fruit and spiced herbs.