Mezcalero No. 24 is an Ensamble of maguey Tepextate and maguey Espadin from San Luis del Rio. It was released in April 2020.
About this mezcal
Mezcalero No. 24 was hand-distilled in October 2016 by Don Baltazar Cruz in San Luis del Rio. It’s made from from wild maguey Tepextate (agave Marmorata) and hillside maguey Espadín (agave Angustifolia). San Luis gets hot, and this Espadín is fruity and soft, making the perfect backdrop for the intense Tepextate. The entire batch was just 768 bottles.
Mezcalero Mezcal
Each Mezcalero bottling is true to the fundamental batch nature of artisan Mezcal production. Each bottling is distilled from a single integral batch of agaves that are at least 50% wild or semi-wild, and usually 100%. These “silvestre” agaves take a lot of work to harvest: searching for days in the mountains, packing the agaves back on burros. After that, it takes a month of continuous labor to produce a single batch of Mezcalero, usually 600-700 bottles. Mezcalero is both a brand and an intention. The brand is a way for talented artisan distillers to work with, and gain part of their livelihood from, some very special agaves. The intention goes deeper: to help preserve a way of distilling that is also a way of life, deeply linked to the distiller’s family, to his social environs, to his pueblo, to an entire way of life largely deriving from indigenous culture that is at risk of rapid deterioration under pressure from the modernization of Mexico.
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Coach
7 reviewsAs a Tepextate lover this is an excellent addition to this line. If you have never tasted #21 the #24 gives you a earthy profile with hints of honeysuckle, dates, and citrus. The blend with espadin helps add more balance to the drier aspects of the tepextate. Excellently paired with charred meats and dry rubs.
Jonny
705 reviewsI’d agree with Tyler on the Espadin-forward nature of this one. There’s lots of sweetness on the nose and palate, with a bit of pepper, spice, and sweet spearmint from the Tep. The nose is a bit piney, with hints of green pepper and sweet vanilla ice cream. The palate has a touch of smoke (which I normally can’t taste in most mezcals anymore), some spearmint gum, raw sugar cane, and cracked pepper.
Tyler
641 reviewsThis mezcalero has produced a wide-range of mezcals and I’m generally a fan. This mezcal is thin but packed with crisp vegetal flavors. There is a lot of strong agave-forward Espadin here with a spicy Tepeztate backdrop. I really like this but wonder if I’d be know which agaves were used if tasted blind. The Mezcalero series doesn’t wow me like it used to but I will always be keeping an eye on it.