Es Mezcal son Amores

     After realized various travels in the different mezcaleros states of Mexico, the Mezcal Amores founder, real lovers of their country, its heritage and its citizens, met the best Maestro Mescalero to create a high quality mezcal characterized by its sweetness, its sustainable development and organic approach, its handcrafted making process and its unique flavour.

First and foremost, the goal of Mezcal Amores is to educate people about this magic drink, valuing a  tradition, a country, a population and highlight the daily work done respecting the environment and sharing it to the rest of the world teaching us about mezcal from the plant to our glass (how to enjoy it).

The agave which is strewed, harvested, processed and distilled by Mezcal Amores is Espadin (agave angustifolia). This agave grow around 10 years. Depending of the agave species, the growth is between 9 and 35 years (ex: 35 years for an Tepextate agave).

Mezcal Amores is characterised by its 100% artisanal full process, its triple distillation in copper still at the difference to the mayority of the mezcal distillery which complete only two.

In the case of Mezcal Amores Reposado, it is a 100% Organic Agave Espadín from Santiago Matatlán,Oaxaca in which the agave cooking step takes place in a clay oven which make it less smoky. Then, Amores distills its mezcal reposado three times to reach its characterized sweetness. 

To be called “reposado” the spirit has to be aged in oak barrels for a minimum of two months. Amores rest the precious elixir for 8 months in American oak barrels.

It’s bottled in a stylish bottle signed and numbered by Enrique Jimenez, the master mezcalero. On it, a sun is engraved representing the element which allows the agave to grow and feed. You can also notice at the back of the front label, “Bebo del sol su sangre” (I drink from the sun its blood) which is the Mezcal Amores slogan.

Mezcal Amores donates 15% of its gross benefits to reforest 10 agaves for an agave used to generate jobs in the local community, support the production for a long term and to improve the working conditions in the distillery (palenque). It also supports health, nutrition and education programs for the local communities.

Tasting notes

Color: Golden brillant, amber. Sweet body.

Nose: Woody notes with persistence of cooked agave and slight touch of roasted hazelnut. Hints of vanilla and cooked agave.

Palate: Sweet and smooth with cooked agave (citrus) taste and a touch of vanilla with a hint of wet wood. Slight smoky notes tempered by its sweetness.

Finish: Slighty warm and persistente, delicate and lengthened.

ABV: 37%

Agave type: Espadin, 10 years old

Gold Medal, San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2012

I recommend to drink this excellent mezcal neat but not alone… It’s a versatile drink to keep in your cupboard at home. It also taste particularly good paired with orange wedges dipped in chili powder, o sal de gusano, the traditional way to appreciate a mezcal.

Mezcal Amores is light, sweet, subtle flavoured to enjoy as an aperitif or as a super after-dinner, with authentic Mexican chocolate (Tabasco/Chiapas) with high percentage of cacao.

“Tomo mezcal por que me conecto con la tierra, con mi historia, con mis orígenes, con lo mío. Saboreo el clima y la planta, me conecto con lo simple” Mónica Patiño

(I drink mezcal because it connect me with the land, with my history, with my origins, with myself. I savour the climate and the plant, I connect myself with simple thing)

Have a jovial solar tear, let's fill yourself with energy, joy and love.

Salud!

Fly away with "El Murcielago"...

Mezcales de Leyenda is a cooperative joining small producers from across Mexico to produce a range of organics mezcals from a variety of different wild (sylvestre) agaves which represents the distilling heritage of the different regions. These mezcals offer a great opportunity to sample the characteristics mezcals, from each region.

Each bottling is represented by an animal referring to ancient Nahua mythology and today is about “El Murcielago” (bat).

I tasted Murciélago in La Nacional, Condesa (Mexico Df), which is a “joven” (young) mezcal giving off personality and robustness elaborated in Durango volcanic valleys by small producers who ensure the best quality and the best care in each bottle. Hailing from the mountainous state of Durango, this mezcal is made from agave Duranguensis or Cenizo. 

It's exclusive to Durango and Zacatecas, where it is found among pines and oaks in the Sierra (Mountains) or within scrublands in the plains.

Nice logo and bottle reflected by this worthy mezcal representative.

Tasting notes

Color: Transparent

Nose: Cooked agave, orange peel, raspberry flavours…

Palate: Quite dry. Herbal combined with citrus fruits tastes (orange peel). Earthy and smoky notes. Hints of fresh leather.

Finish: The smoky and dry notes drift away and leave you with an agreeable sweet and smooth finish.

ABV: 40%

Let’s make a wonderful night flight travelling to the Mexican roots…wake up your spirit...

Salud!

Water Of LiFe, travelling in Mexico to explore more deeply the fabulous world of mezcal

For several weeks, Water Of LiFe, has been travelling in Mexico to explore more deeply the fabulous world of mezcal (cf. post “Improbable Tequila and Mezcal tasting...in Brussels“, February).

Everyone knows about tequila, whether if they like it or not, but what does its brother mezcal taste like?
Mezcal won't appeals everyone, but when somebody likes tequila, definitely should try.

The word mezcal come from the náhuatl, the azteca language, “mexcalli”, derived from “metl” which means maguey (agave plant) and “ixcalli” meaning cooked or stewed. According to archaeological studies, this distillate of agave is the oldest distilled drink of Mexico and probably of the world. It’s a new taste for most of us, that's the reason as why we have to behave with it… we have to enjoy it, sip it, not shoot it. The Scotch fans and spirits fans in general, should consider investigating mezcal.

To my opinion, Mezcals have a lot to demonstrate us before to age it thanks to the 30 types of agaves which can be use to elaborate it, the geology of the soil, the sun exposition and the climate where it is produced. Once you age it, I think we lose some of the mezcal original flavour but some of the reposado ones could make me change my mind…

Today, mezcal has a big opportunity to become as important as o more than tequila.

The mezcal producers has to carry on creating small and reduced batches to not become industrial as Tequila is and preserve what it characterize and make it so special being one of the few drinks left which can accurately be called "artisanal". Unlike most of other spirits, production of mezcal is, on the whole, a smalltime affair, mezcal is largely handcrafted. Actually, most of the mezcals exported come from Oaxaca and are elaborated with the agave called Espadín, harvested by hand.

Mezcal has become trendy, chick among the Mexican middle and high class whereas it was still considered as a low class drink few years ago. Recently (≈ 5 years), the interest for mezcal is growing up in Mexico and abroad, Mezcalerias have mushroomed across Mexico City. People begin to know how to consume it and consume it more and more. In the Condesa neighbourhood, I had the opportunity to taste two brands which called me attention: Mezcales de Leyenda and Mezcal Amores (next posts)

Having a mezcal or two, this drink is considered as magical in some regions of Mexico. It goes well paring with food, as an aperitif or digestive sharing with friends, to celebrate, it allows us to have a short travel to Mexico.

Salud!