Explore Mezcals Made Outside Oaxaca

Hailing from Zacatecas — much farther north than the center of mezcal production in Oaxaca — the Miel de Tierra line seeks to show more elegant and earthy flavors than the typical smoky and wild examples from the south. Although much of the line features aging in local, virgin oak, this joven pours an inviting, crystal clear.

This expression is made from 100% wild papalote agave grown in the mountains in the state of Guerrero. It is bottled unaged at 42% ABV.

Made from wild Salmiana Crassispina agave harvested in the high plateau of San Luis Potosí, this expression is produced by Master Distiller Juan Manuel Pérez in the village of Charcas. Unlike most mezcals, the agave is cooked in a masonry oven with a stone pit using black oak rather than a traditional underground pit, resulting in a notably different smoke profile. The agave is tahona crushed, naturally fermented in masonry vats, distilled in copper pot stills, and rested a minimum of 60 days in glass before bottling at 86 proof.

Released in the summer of 2015, this is a mezcal produced with 100% agave cupreata (aka papalote). The agaves are sourced from the slopes of the Sierra Madre del Sur mountain range and distilled in the village of Mazatlán in the state of Guerrero. Natural fermentation takes place in open pine vats and this is double-distilled in a copper pot-still. Unaged, this is bottled at 86 proof.

El Tinieblo Mezcal Joven is twice-distilled from a blend of salmiana, americana (maguey), and espadin agaves. This silver mezcal is produced in Jiménez by Mezcales de Tamaulipas S de RLMI (NOM T40M).

VIDA Puebla is a new addition to the Del Maguey portfolio. While the classic VIDA bottling is made in San Luis del Rio, Oaxaca, this mezcal is made at a new palenque located in Axocopan, Puebla. VIDA Puebla was made in collaboration with co-founder Steve Olson who wanted to bring to market a sustainably produced, easy drinking mezcal with a competitive price point. The mezcal is bottled at 80 proof and is available in select US markets including CA, FL, IL, NY, OH, & TX beginning March 2023. A nationwide release is expected to begin July 2023. (SRP $37.99)

This expression is made from 100% non-GMO verified cenizo agave grown in the northern state of Durango. It is bottled unaged at 44% ABV.

Introduced in 2017, this bottling from Mezcales de Leyenda uses agave salmiana coming from San Luis Potosí. The agaves are cooked in a clay oven for two days. After crushing, the juice and fibers are allowed open-fermentation in cement tanks for five days before double-distillation in a copper still. Made by Master Mezcalero Juan José Hernández, this unaged mezcal is bottled at 42% ABV.

This mezcal is made in Michoacan, in western Mexico, at an elevation of 5880 feet. The Perez Escot brothers use wild cupreata agave that grows on their estate and fire roast it in a stone-lined pit using white oak. The cooked piñas are macerated and fermentation is done in an open-air vat. Double-distilled and bottled unaged at 43.75% ABV.

Montelobos Tobalá Mezcal is made with sustainably-produced agave potatorum--otherwise known as Tobalá--rather than wild agave which is more common. These agaves were cultivated from seed and grown in Puebla until they were mature (up to 15 years). The agaves were harvested and then roasted in an in-ground earth oven lined with brick from 5-7 days. After fermentation (ten days), the cooked agave juice was distilled twice in copper stills powered by wood-fueled fire.