MEZCASIARCA ENSAMBLE ANCESTRAL AGAVE SPIRIT 47.8% In Situ Spirits; TOBASICHE/BARRIL/ESPADIN (NOM EM-012-SC) (SPECIAL ORDER 1 WEEK)

Destilado de agave produced in Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca, and bottled under the In Situ label, Mezcasiarca (NOM EM-012-SC) Maestro Mezcalero Israel Perez Distilled from Tobaziche (A. karwinskii), Barril (A. karwinskii) and Espadín (A. angustifolia) Cooked in a traditional earthen oven Milled using a stone tahona Fermented in open-air wooden vats (tinas) made of oak Distilled twice using traditional Filipino-style clay pot stills Toasty and warm on the nose with welcoming aromas of smoked cedar and Bosc pear, olive oil, wet moss, and toasted oats; a curveball on the palate combines flavors of sumac, ginseng, walnut skin, charred carrot and parsnip, and a whisper of baked apple 300 liters produced 47.8% ABV A rugged ride from start to finish, this batch manages to evoke the aromas and sensations of a long hike in deep yet familiar woods; a woodsy bravado runs through it, from nose to finish, and any campfire-qualities are only enhanced by well-integrated but pronounced smoke. Light and sharp in texture but strong and heavy in flavor, the midpalate in crests with a punch of spice and electricity that’s hard to pin down. As complex as it is crowd-pleasing, this one has classic written all over it.