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Jose Luis Hermoso, research director at the IWSR, provides some context. “Five years ago there were only two facilities producing mezcal on an industrial scale,” he says. “Since then multinational investment has been enormous, and more industrialisation of the category will be needed to supply expected growth.” There are already signs of this industrialisation but, unsurprisingly, approaches vary widely, as do opinions about its inevitability. Fully Oaxacan: Koch El Mezcal The judges then turned their attention to aged Tequilas, beginning with a flight of Mixto Tequila – Reposado. In this round, two Silver medallists were discovered. Sierra Tequila Reposado secured Silver for aromas of “fruit, vegetal notes and a touch of pepper”, leading to “some warming spice” on the palate. El Sueño Tequila Gold also took home Silver for delivering “some grassy notes” on the palate, and a “nice spiciness”.
Eduardo: I guess actually. I mean, I always say that mezcal is closer to wine than to anything else. In wine, you have different grape varieties which gives you different wine. A Chardonnay from Napa Valley is a completely different wine from a Chardonnay in South Africa or from Argentina. Tanner remained equally enthused about agave‐based spirits. He added: “I think we’ll see, perhaps like gin, in a year or two there will be a more ‘contemporary’ Tequila category with different barrel finishes and a more experimental level.
Eduardo: Right? Well, mezcal, the name mezcal comes from Nahuatl Mexcalliwhich means cooked agave. Before the Spaniards came to Mexico, or before we had distillation in Mexico, I say Spaniards because we were conquered by the Spanish, but they have found some Filipino still pots in Mexico, but let’s not get into that because then we are going to take hours. Susan: To be honest, you gave me this one. So, of course, it’s traditional and it’s filled with mezcal.
The judges found the quality improved as they progressed to 100% Agave Tequila – Premium Reposado. A Master was bestowed upon Tequila Dahlia Cristalino. Rodriguez found this expression had an “explosive nose” full of “roasted agave, pepper and floral notes”. The palate had a “touch of sweetness” and “lingering” flavour. “This shows Tequila’s immense complexity, playful aromas and notes reminiscent of other spirits categories,” he enthused. “This feels more like a sipping liquid than a mixing liquid.” Chambers said: “This feels like a category where producers are trying to experiment and push the limits a little bit within the rules. It was a pretty great flight.” Susan: Wait, wait, wait. You said that mezcal is made from all different mezcals. You mean all different agaves, right? Mijenta Reposado also scooped a Master, praised for its “lovely long finish with oak and earthy, smoky notes lingering for ages”.The number of excellent Tequila and mezcal bottlings on the market has been increasing at an impressive rate, with producers bringing interesting expressions to keen consumers, as this year’s blind-tasting competition showed. This year’s Tequila & Mezcal Masters received a record number of entries
Made with Espadin agave, the pechuga mezcal is distilled a third time with a turkey breast suspended in the still, along with seasonal fruit and spices. It is an homage to Oaxacan tradition – where pechuga (meaning turkey breast) mezcal is drunk at special occasions, such as weddings and quinceaneros. The turkey breast isn’t just for festive flair, however – it also adds flavour and some viscosity to the mezcal. Five Gold medallists were also enjoyed by the judges: Don Julio Añejo, with “cinnamon, vanilla and oak”; “sippable and accessible” Olmeca Altos Añejo; 1800 Añejo, which had “rich toffee, resinous aromas”; and “silky” Gran Centenario Añejo, with notes of “burnt sugar and lime citrus”. Pernod Ricard’s Avión Añejo also earned a Gold medal, presenting “lovely complexity and balance – very sippable”. Chambers said: “Delicious. Very good at what it does.” People don’t understand the process of making tequila or the process of making mezcal, all the years that you have to wait for the plan to be ready.Susan: So, there are nine regions where they make mezcal. Where do you start? Did you just kind of have a map and close your eyes and point to one, or was there one type of mezcal that you loved so much that you wanted to recreate it?
Susan: I love it. We’re going to get onto mezcal now, because that’s what we’re here to talk about. But do you remember the first time that you were that like, was it a lightning bolt moment, when you had the first mezcal and said, “Oh my God. Why haven’t I been drinking this all these years? You don’t need to put any ice. It doesn’t need to be chilled, just room temperature, in one of those glasses. We were in Mexico and in the cantinas and restaurants, they always give you your glass in a plate with some orange wedges, and then they sprinkle some, even some salt, warm salt, or Tajin, chili and lime salt, on it. And then you sip your mezcal, bite the orange. Then you just have that beautiful experience. I want to serve myself a mezcal. since we are talking about it. Two Gold medals were given to “classic, earthy” Matra Mezcal and “very smooth” Mezcal Artesanal Noble Coyote Espadín‐Tobalá, with “ripe banana” notes. A Silver medal went to Mezcal Artesanal Noble Coyote Jabalí. You build that up the same way you do a Cuba Libre or the same way you do a Gin & Tonic. So, margaritas are very popular in, I guess, in the touristic areas. People at a barbacoa or a barbecue in Mexico, they will not have a shaker, or they will not be doing the margarita thing. Susan: I love that the Mexican comes to the UK for the summer. It’s supposed to be the reverse. No?Eduardo: All right. Well, almost 90%, maybe 85 to 90% of mezcal is produced in the state of Oaxaca in the South of Mexico. Out of that, 80% or 85%, maybe half of that is made from espadin agave. Espadin agave is the cousin or brother of the tequila blue weber, so a very similar looking type of agave. It’s called espadin because the leaves look like swords. Espada in Spanish is sword, this espadin. So, each leaf looks like a big sword. The process begins by cooking the hearts of the agave for up to 10 days in anunderground ovenusing local oak wood. The cooked hearts are then crushed with atahonapulled bythe estate’s donkey chicharito
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