oaxaca

Brand… Espiritu Lauro

Category… Ensamble… 70% Espadin, 30% Karwinskii… 40% Alcohol

Origin… Amatengo, Oaxaca

Tasting Notes… This has a fresh minerally nose, mild smoke with subtle floral notes. There is some nice body on entry, viscous with very strong notes of pine that give way to even more mineral on the slightly sweet, long finish. This is a nice mezcal. I’d serve it straight up or with a little pineapple juice. If you are creative, consider adding a little vanilla ice cream and some mandarin oranges. It could make a great dessert!

Legend has it that many years ago a meteor fell from the sky and hit Oaxaca, Mexico. It was then that a local mezcalero decided to use the red hot pit left from the impact to cook his magueys before distilling them into mezcal.

Category… 100% Joven Espadin, 45% Alcohol

Origin… Las Margaritas, Oaxaca

Tasting Notes… Very pretty floral, sweet nose showing mild heat. This pleasant mezcal really opens up in the glass. Upon entry there’s that heat, citrus peel and then — BAM! Lots of mineral carrying through on the finish with the citrus peel peeking through. Maybe that’s the meteor effect. Wine lovers will recall a similarity with high end bone dry Riesling,

Many of our customers know that aside from being a "wine guy" I also have a passion for Mezcal. I make a yearly pilgrimage to Oaxaca, Mexico to visit palenques (distilleries) and taste several Mezcals that cannot be found in the US. I also contribute to a well known Blog about Mexican Culture and Tourism "Dave Miller's Mexico". I recently sampled El Buho, a Mezcal purchased right off our store's shelf. Here is a copy of my review:
Tasting Notes...Pretty, floral, fresh nose showing pine forest hints. It is very delicate and pleasant. Viscous mouth coating texture with little hint of alcohol on entry. The pine character comes to the forefront followed by intense mineral and citrus flavors. A little touch of heat carries the long finish where the mineral/citrus peel flavors remain.
Additional Thoughts…

At the Premier Group, one of the reasons we like to visit wineries and distilleries it to get a feel for the place our products come from as well as get to know the people and traditions of the region. This philosophy of discovery has made us a top retailer and has also lead to some relationships with great people over the years.

My meeting with Paco Garcia from Wahaka Mezcal was supposed to be a short tour and tasting. As he sensed my desire to really know his Mezcal and my love of Oaxaca, he asked if I would open my whole day to him. I jumped at the chance.

I had the opportunity to see all three types of Maguey (a type of Agave plant used for Mezcal) up close, to touch them and see where they are grown.  I would later get to taste the delicious and unique Mezcal that each plant produces.

The farmed Espadin (I think this is what most people picture when they think of Agave plants)

Fine, handcrafted Mezcal is a growing category in the Spirits industry. One of the finest Premier carries is the Wahaka Brand from San Dionisio Ocotepec, Oaxaca, Mexico.

On a recent trip to Oaxaca, I was given the opportunity to visit, taste and meet with Wahaka's Mezcal Aficionado, Francisco Garcia. Among other things, Francisco shared the methods for making fine Mezcal with me.

Francisco explained that Mezcal is made from Maguey (from the Agave Family) slowly roasted in an open, earthen pit, filled with heated (until it is molten hot!) river rock, covered with a protective layer of crushed Maguey "must" from a previous batch. The Maguey is slow roasted for a period