Corte Vetusto Ensamble Mezcal (75cl, 43%)

Corte Vetusto Ensamble is a small-batch artisanal mezcal from Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca, bottled at 43% in a 75cl bottle. It blends Madrecuixe, Cuixe and Coyote (Americana) agaves, with proportions that shift from batch to batch. The piñas are roasted in a conical earth oven and milled with volcanic stone, then fermented naturally without commercial yeast. Distillation starts in a 250-litre copper pot still and finishes in a 70-litre clay pot still, which gives a creamy texture. The nose shows cooked agave, vanilla, mint and wood smoke over damp stone. The palate is roasted agave, mineral and salty olive, with black pepper and caramel. The finish is long, with campfire smoke, dark chocolate bitterness and a lift of citrus and flowers.