Ilegal Joven Mezcal, 70cl, 40% ABV

Product Information

Most people have never heard of mezcal — but they have heard of tequila, which is just a subset of mezcal with some very specific requirements. For mezcal, it really just needs to be distilled from agave plants of some kind to be considered ‘mezcal’. a b c d "Oaxaca Mezcal". Go Oaxaca. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011 . Retrieved 5 June 2011. This campaign resonated with those who opposed the political figure, contributing to Ilegal Mezcal’s growing prominence. I start by nosing the liquid directly from the bottle, as that small opening provides an initial—although rudimentary—concentration of each mezcal’s personality. Then I pour a small amount into a Glencairn tasting glass and do a sniff, sip and spit routine, not actually swallowing the liquid but by “breathing” it though the nose, as there are far more taste receptors in our noses than in our mouths. Only then can I dissect more of the flavors, which are often hidden underneath mezcal’s varying degrees of smokiness. The mash is allowed to ferment, the resulting liquid collected and distilled in either clay or copper pots which will further modify the flavor of the final product. [5] The distilled product is then bottled and sold. Unaged mezcal is referred to as joven, or young. Some of the distilled product is left to age in barrels between one month and four years, but some can be aged for as long as 12 years. [18] [9] Mezcal can reach an alcohol content of 55%. [18] Like tequila, mezcal is distilled twice. The first distillation is known as ordinario, and comes out at around 75 proof (37.5% alcohol by volume). The liquid must then be distilled a second time to raise the alcohol percentage.

In the 21st century, mezcal, especially from Oaxaca, has been exported. [12] Exportation has been on the increase and government agencies have been helping smaller-scale producers obtain the equipment and techniques needed to produce higher quantities and qualities for export. The National Program of Certification of the Quality of Mezcal certifies places of origin for export products. Mezcal is sold in 27 countries on three continents. The two countries that import the most are the United States and Japan. [7] In the United States, a number of entrepreneurs have teamed up with Mexican producers to sell their products in the country, by promoting its handcrafted quality, as well as the Oaxacan culture strongly associated with it. [5] The production of mezcal moved from the coastal river basins of the Río Grande de Santiago to the inland ravines by the early 1700s to evade the prohibition on spirits production, as well as to take advantage of the larger numbers of wild agave plants in the interiors. The plants used expanded to highland cultivars of Agave angustifolia, as well as Agave rhodacantha in Jalisco, and Agave hookeri in Michoacán. [10]This smells simultaneously very familiar and yet a little different. The herbal agave note that you’d usually see from a tequila is there — but where a blue-agave-based spirit is somewhat sweeter and lighter, this smells more musky and smoky. It’s like I walked into my grandfather’s attic, with hints of cedar, old wood, and a bit of alcohol. Mixed in there is also some lime citrus for a bit of acidity. I’m J Highland, and for over 30 years, I’ve been deeply immersed in the captivating world of Tequila, Mezcal, and other agave spirits. The regulations have been controversial, not only from small artisanal producers for whom the cost of certification is prohibitive, but also from traditional producers outside the chosen GI states and those producers who believe that the term "mezcal" should not be owned by the state. Uncertified producers are prohibited from using the term "mezcal" on their products. Some producers and importers have responded by labeling their products as "destilados de agave" or "agave spirits", a category now recognized by the United States' TTB and in increasing use. [16] Most commonly used is espadín " smallsword" ( Agave angustifolia ( Haw.), var. espadín), [14] the predominant agave in Oaxaca. [20] The next most important are arroqueño ( Agave americana (L.) var. oaxacensis, sub-variety arroqueño), [22] cirial ( Agave karwinskii (Zucc.)), barril ( Agave rodacantha (Zucc.) var. barril), mexicano ( Agave macroacantha or Agave rhodacantha var. mexicano, also called dobadaan) [a] and cincoañero ( Agave canatala Roxb). The most famous wild agave is tobalá ( Agave potatorum (Zucc.)). [14] [24] Others include madrecuixe, tepeztate, and jabalí. Various other varieties of Agave karwinskii are also used, such as bicuixe and madrecuixe. [23] Production [ edit ] Inside a mezcal producer in Jantetelco, Morelos A typical earthen oven for roasting maguey hearts Roasted maguey (agave) hearts Grinding cooked maguey hearts Gusano de maguey in a bottle, waiting to be added to finished bottles of mezcal Inaugura URO XII Feria Internacional del Mezcal"[XII International Festival of Mezcal opens] (in Spanish). Oaxaca: State of Oaxaca. 20 July 2009 . Retrieved 19 October 2009.

In 2004, Rexer smuggled unbranded Mezcal from Oaxaca to his bar, Café No Se, in Antigua, Guatemala.Believe it or not, the first thing I did was to see if they were readily available on the internet. Because if you can’t get it, what’s the point? Unlike most imported tequilas, where production is structured on a relatively large scale, many mezcals are small individual or family-run operations, and unless they are fortunate enough to have marketing and distribution connections, you may never find them on this side of the Rio Grande. But then comes the all-important element of taste. The degree of smokiness is not the deciding factor; while some of the best mezcals thunder out of the bottle with domineering smoke, other superbly crafted mezcals offer just a faint whiff. It’s the flavor beneath the smoke that matters most. En México existen al menos 7 especies de agave cultivadas y silvestres que son utilizadas para la producción de mezcal. Entre los agaves mezcaleros destacan el “espadín” ( Agave angustifolia Haw.), que es el más cultivado y utilizado para la fabricación del mezcal. En orden de importancia le siguen el “arroqueño” ( Agave americana L.), el “cirial” ( Agave karwinskii Zucc.) y el agave “barril” ( Agave rodacantha Zucc.), el “mexicano” ( Agave macrocantha) y el maguey “cincoañero” ( Agave canatala Roxb). Entre los más famosos y apreciados agaves silvestres por la calidad del mezcal que se obtiene está el “tobala” ( Agave potatorum Zucc.)."

Las nuevas fronteras para la acumulación de la industria del agave en la región mixteca". Radio Zapatista (in Mexican Spanish) . Retrieved 14 March 2021. Currently uncertified agave spirits labeled as "destilados de agave" or "agave spirits" can also be bottled in the United States.Mezcal is made from over 30 agave species, varieties, and subvarieties, in contrast with tequila, which is made only with blue agave. [20] Of many agave species that can be used to make mezcal, seven are particularly notable. [14] There is no exhaustive list, as the regulations allow any agaves, provided that they are not used as the primary material in other governmental Denominations of Origin. [21] The term silvestre "wild" is sometimes found, but simply means that the agaves are wild (foraged, not cultivated); it is not a separate variety. The two types of mezcal are those made of 100% agave and those mixed with other ingredients, with at least 60% agave. Both types have four categories. Joven (white) mezcal is clear and hardly aged. Dorado (golden) is not aged but caramel is added. This is more often done with a mixed mezcal. Reposado is aged in wood barrels from two to nine months. This can be done with 100% agave or mixed mezcals. Añejo is aged in barrels for a minimum of 12 months. The best of this type are generally aged from 18 months to three years. If the añejo is of 100% agave, it is usually aged for about four years. [18] a b c d e "Modifications to the General Declaration on the Protection of the Appellation of Origin "Mezcal" published in the Official Journal of the Federation on 28 November 1994 (MX082)".