Mal Bien Papalote Joven Gutierrez (75cl, 46%)

A joven destilado de agave from the Gutierrez family, made from 100% papalote (Agave cupreata) grown in Tepehuixco, including 10-15% capon agave. Tomás Gutierrez and his son Emiliano, third- and fourth-generation mezcaleros, work above Chilapa de Alvarez in Guerrero. Production uses a six-ton pit, wood-chipper mill, ayacahuite fermentation tanks with spring water, and two distillations in 200-litre copper alambiques. The profile carries the family's chocolate-and-chile signature, lifted by floral top notes, with complex earthy aromatics, sweet roasted agave richness and a lingering finish. It is bottled at about 46% ABV in a 750mL bottle.