Del Maguey Chichicapa Mezcal

Yes, Mezcal is the stuff with the worm or scorpion in the bottle. But NO, that is not tradition. It was merely a marketing ploy that was devised when Tequila sales skyrocketed. Thanks to Del Maguey (meaning "of the agave" in spanish), we can taste original mezcal flavors that pre-date the Tequila region's smoother take on things. The huge contrast in flavor has to do with how the agave is cooked before fermentation. In Tequila, the agaves are baked or roasted in autoclaves but in traditional mezcal, they are smoked in earth pits called "huecos." This imparts a smokey and earthy flavor which is distilled to perfection by all of Del Maguey's "mezcaleros." But for me, Chichicapa is at the top of all the villages. Beautiful vegetal notes with flavors of citrus rinds, pepper and smoke make for a perfect introduction to mezcal. If you li