Nuestra Soledad Mezcal Santiago Matatlán

Nuestra Soledad is the Casa Cortés line of single maker, single village Espadín mezcals. This joven comes from Santiago Matatlán, the busy town east of Oaxaca City long known as the heartland of traditional mezcal, made by respected mezcalero Gregorio Martínez Jarquín from Espadín grown at altitude in an agave rich mountain ravine.

The Cortés family Espadín here is cultivated alongside wild tobalá, tepeztate and coyote, which lends it a layered, complex profile. Made in the artesanal way, it is pit roasted for its roasted, smoky depth, then twice distilled and bottled at 45.3%. Expect roasted plantain, smoky cured meat and toasted cacao nib up front, with soft fruit of mango and banana filling out the palate.