Zignum Mezcal Añejo Cristalino

An aged Espadin mezcal from Zignum, made at Casa Armando Guillermo Prieto in Tlacolula de Matamoros, the largest distillery in Oaxaca. Unlike most mezcal, the agave here is not pit roasted but steam cooked in an autoclave, the method used for tequila, which leaves the spirit almost free of smoke. This is the Cristalino expression, aged then decolourised to look clear.

After distillation the mezcal rests 24 months in French oak to gather oak sweetness and depth, then passes through a charcoal filtration that strips the colour back to clear while keeping the barrel flavour. The honest framing is aged then filtered, soft and sweet rather than smoky or tannic. Expect gentle vanilla, caramel and light wood, with tropical fruit, honey and roasted almonds across a smooth, rounded body at 40%, the smoke kept faint in the background.