Yuu Baal Mezcal Madrecuishe

Yuu Baal Madrecuixe is an Oaxacan mezcal made from Madrecuixe, one of the wild forms of A. karwinskii prized for its dry, mineral, herbal character. It is produced by the experienced maestro mezcalero Alberto Ortiz, known as Don Beto, in Santa Maria la Pila, Oaxaca; Yuu Baal draws together producers across San Juan del Rio, San Luis del Rio and Miahuatlan, its name joining the Zapotec words for earth and fire.

Don Beto roasts the agave in a stone pit over wood, crushes it by hand with a wooden mallet, ferments with wild yeast and double distils in a 200 litre copper still, working in a notably clean palenque. The result is woody and herbal on the nose, mineral and damp, then tropical wood, coconut and fresh fruit on the palate with a light sweetness and a wisp of smoke. Bottled at 40 percent, it lets the karwinskii fingerprint carry.