Quiquiriqui Tepeztate

Tepeztate is only available seasonally, and grows wild around the state of Oaxaca. It’s part of the Marmorata agave family and has a very distinct appearance (wide and twisted leaves with erratic structure). Despite all odds it seems to flourish best on the sides of steep, rocky cliffs and so it’s difficult to find and to gather. Widely considered the jewel in the crown of all Oaxacan agaves, Tepeztate can take as many as 30 years to mature in the wild.

The QQRQ Tepeztate was made by Orlando Altamirano from Zoquitlan, with purely traditional and artisanal production. After the mature agave was pit-roasted, it was crushed with a tahona, then fermented wild in wooden vats. It was double-distilled in alembic stills.

This is perhaps the most reserved and yet aromatically complex of all the Quiquiriqui Mezcals, with a bright and perfumed, almost floral intensity, followed by sweet metallic notes, and some lingering fruitiness in the background. The palate is bolder, with meaty cured charcuterie characters and buttery sweetness, ahead of an almost ferrous zing and delicate wood smoke. The texture is supremely silky and slippery, coating the tongue before sliding away and leaving a finish abounding with classic Mezcal minerality.