Mezcal Isn’t Always Smokey: 5 Of Our Favorite Expressions That Redefine The Spirit’s Often Misplaced Stereotype

If you have even a remote interest in the agave spirits world, you’ve almost certainly heard mezcal described as “tequila’s smokier cousin.”

It’s an unfair descriptor that fails to capture the vastness of the mezcal landscape.  While tequila can only be made from steamed blue weber agave, mezcal is distilled from over 30 different types of agave varietals that can be roasted varyingly in above-ground, underground, or canonical ovens. Though many are smokey, many more are not.

Here are five top-tier picks that redefine the spirit’s often misplaced stereotype. We’ve included a range of price points, so hopefully, there’s a little something here for everybody.

Banhez Espadin & Barril

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Produced by a cooperative of over 35 mezcaleros in Oaxaca, this blended batch bottling serves as the brand’s flagship expression. If you’re looking for something delicately sweet, this bottling offers it in spades, brimming with light flavors of vanilla bean, honey, toffee, apricot and more.

Retailing at $31, this is a fantastic budget-friendly pick that doesn’t skimp on complexity. Though many mezcals can prove difficult to track down, Banhez Espadin & Baril is ubiquitous at liquor stores across the nation for good reason.

Desolas Mezcal

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Desolas is distilled from the 25-year agave salmiana, frequently dubbed “The Green Giant” due to its towering 8-10 foot size.

Desolas attributes its low-smoke flavor to above-ground roasting, a tradition of mezcal production that has held strong for centuries in the city of San Luis Potosi. The resulting spirit packs in earthy, terroir-driven flavors of lemon peel, basil, mint and light grassiness. You can find our full interview with founder GG Marvis explaining the history and production of Desolas here.

Retailing at $52, Desolas is a mezcal to seek out if you want to taste the lush greenery in your spirit.

Nuestra Soledad San Baltazar

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Nuestra Soledad San Baltazar is distilled from sugar-rich agave espadin that grows at about 5,500 feet in limestone-heavy soil.

Above all else, the spirit is packed with an unexpectedly blueberry-forward flavor, layered in with the likes of graham cracker, vanilla, baking spice and a light funkiness.

This is a complex, off-kilter pick that’ll surprise you with its combination of fruity sweetness and minerality. Usually retailing around $60, Nuestra Soledad San Baltzar is a great bottle if you want to try something new.

Origen Raiz Durango

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Origen Raiz is a collaborative effort brought together by the Saravia family of Durango and the Cortés family of Oaxaca, combining two distinctive sets of mezcal history to create spirits wholly their own.

This expression packs in gobs of contrasting flavors, varying between almond, pineapple, vanilla cream, roasted corn and even light bubblegum.

Raiz Durango is about as complex as it gets, and at $70, it’s a great pick to explore the innumerable flavors of artisanal small-batch mezcal.

Don Mateo Silvestre 

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One of the only mezcal brands that produces and exports from the state of Michoacán, Don Mateo is an underappreciated distiller with a consistently superb portfolio.

Their Silvestre expression is made from agave cupreata distilled in copper before being aged in glass for around a year. Its flavor profile combines darkened notes of cocoa and clove with vegetal hints of green peppers, papaya and pine.

At $119, this a pricier pick, but one that is sure to impress.

Read More: 

Exploring Agave: Getting To Know The Families Behind Del Maguey Mezcal

California Tequila? An Interview With the Farmers Betting Big on U.S.-Made Agave Spirits 

From Guerrero to Oaxaca: 5 Best Top Shelf Mezcals To Seek Out in 2023

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