Alipus, Mezcal San Andres 750ml

Mezcal, 47.5% ABV

San Andrés, Oaxaca, Mexico

80% agave Espadín and 20% Bicuixee grown on low hills and terraces at 5300 feet on ferriferous soils. Distilled by Don Valente Angel. Complex, rich, and intensely floral.

A local feature of the distilleries in this region is the use of large, flat earth pits that produce only a subtle hint of smoke in the final distillate. In addition, Valente uses a grinder to crush the agave. This produces a much better broken down, drier fiber mass than tahona (stone mill) or hand crushing. This is set to ferment with water and pressed down in the tank with stones. This keeps the surface in the tank liquid and open instead of having a lid of fiber pulp that closes off the fermentation from the air.

Alipús Mezcal originated in 1999 as a project that sought to support traditional producers and their lands in a number of regions. Hector Vasquez and Karina Abad Rojas have worked closely with selected small producers, both to improve their distillation methods and to help them with the complex paperwork required to certify their mezcals for export. Today they work with nine mezcal producers in Oaxaca, all of which contribute to the development of rural economies. All the mezcals are spontaneously fermented. These bottlings are an exploration of terroir and the distinct style of the mezcalero throughout the state of Oaxaca.