Agave Boom Prickly Pear Tequila is produced by Casa Maestri, and distributed by the Houston-based company Mexcor. The brand website proclaims that the goal with Agave Boom was to create a “new tequila for the new generations”, although it’s not immediately clear what they mean by this, as the production process they describe seems fairly standard. Each version features a fun, comic-inspired bottle design, including a 3D embroidered agave plant. Their agave is sourced from Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico, and roasted in a traditional oven for about 36-56 hours. It is then shredded, fermented in wooden vats, and distilled twice. This unaged blanco […]
Sababa Mezcal Artesenal is produced by Sababa Mezcal. Their agave is sourced from a few different regions of Oaxaca including San Juan Del Río, Matatlán, Reforma Yautepec, and Santa Ana Del Río. It is grown for 10 years before being harvested. Their current expression, a mezcal joven made of Espadín agave, is created by master mezcalero Francisco de los Ángeles. Although they don’t go into much detail about their production process, they do mention that the mezcal is double distilled using traditional stills. As a mezcal joven, it is not aged before bottling. The brand also takes pride in their beautiful bottles, for which they teamed […]
After spending a large portion of last year exploring budget and/or mixing spirits, I was grateful and excited to come out of the holiday season with a handful of higher priced bottles. And, since it has been far too long since I last experienced a higher end bottle of tequila, my most anticipated bottle was Grand Mayan Tequila Extra Aged. Family is important to Grand Mayan Tequila. The company was founded by Carlos Monsalve, a long-time veteran of the tequila industry. His family continues to play a significant role in the entire production process and Carlos works especially closely with his son, Carlos Jr, to carry on the family […]
Mezcal Vago Elote is exported by Mezcal Vago. Founded by American-born Judah Emanuel Kuper, Vago works with small, traditional palenques in southern Oaxaca to bring their mezcal to the market. As a brand, their aim is to empower these local mezcaleros who are masters of the craft, while also helping us consumers experience truly great mezcal. The exporter is currently owned by Heaven Hill company. This particular bottle of Elote mezcal is made in Candelaria Yegolé, Oaxaca by mezcaleros Temo and Mateo García (listed as “Hijos de Aquilino García”). It was the signature recipe of mezcalero Aquilino García Lopéz, who unfortunately passed […]
Yuu Baal Mezcal Joven is produced by Grupo Yuu Baal – a Mexican company founded by Flor de María Velásquez and Jorge Alberto Ramírez Márquez. In addition to operating their own family-owned distillery, they also collaborate with various other native Oaxacan mezcal producers. Yuu Baal is produced in San Juan del Río, San Luis del Río, Tlacolula, and Miahuatlan. They take pride in their traditional and sustainable practices, and their mezcals are made by hand each step of the way. This particular bottle of Mezcal Joven is produced in San Juan del Río, Oaxaca under master mezcalero Isaías Martínez Juan. It is made using 7 year old Agave […]