Style: Single Village Mezcal
Region: Axocopan, Puebla
Varietal: Espadín
Proof: 80 (40%)

If you’ve ordered mezcal cocktails from a bar in the past decade, they likely were made with Del Maguey. Their trademark green bottles are seen behind most bars. And for good reason – they’ve been importing and bottling mezcal from all over Mexico since 1996. It’s no wonder Del Maguey was widely adopted by mixologists and bartenders and became, for a while, the face of mezcal in the US.

Their most visible bottle is their Del Maguey Vida expression, which comes from San Luis Del Rio in Oaxaca, Mexico. But for their latest release, Del Maguey has ventured to the town of Axocopan in the state of Puebla where this specific mezcal is distilled at the foot of a volcano. Let’s see how Del Magey’s Vida Puebla stacks up.

Tasting Notes

This mezcal has a very rich aroma. It’s fruity and floral with a strong note of roasted agave and an undercurrent of minerality. Upon sipping, the roasted agave note is prevalent but not overwhelming and has a fresh herbal note as well. Instead of an intense smokiness, it presents more like a savory roasted pepper and sweet cooked agave. The minerality that’s very noticeable on the nose is much more muted on the palate, but there is still a bit of briny salinity. The finish is smooth and pleasant with a light burst of cinnamon.

Final Thoughts

Del Maguey’s single village Puebla mezcal is a pleasant sipping mezcal that is a welcome addition to their line. For those who may be wary of the “smokiness” often broadly attributed to mezcal as a category, this specific bottle does a great job of making that roasted agave note taste much less like acrid smoke and more like roasted agave. At 80 proof, it may be a little too smooth for a shaken cocktail like a Naked and Famous but works very well in an Oaxaca old-fashioned, and it’s very nice sipped neat.