Master Mezcalero:Silverio Garca Luis & Epifania Gmez Meja

NOM:NOM-0162
Agave Varietal:Espadn
Scientific Name:Agave angustifolia
Town / Municipality:Rancho Blanco Gil, Santiago Matatln
State:Oaxaca
Fermentation:Natural, Open-Vat Fermentation in Wood
Still Type:Copper Alembic
Dates of Distillation:August 2017; March 2018; May 2018
Number of Liters in Corresponding Distillation:1447; 1197; 997
ABV:48-49%

Tasting Notes:

Butterscotch, black tea, banana, and roasted maguey. A little sweet, a little creamy. Savory, spicy, and peppery, in a way that reminds us of smoked meats and Texas style barbecue. Followed by lingering, resonating notes of ash and soft smoke on the palate.

Backstory:

It was the fall of 2017. My co-founder Kevin and I were on a multi-day trip through the countryside of Oaxaca, drinking cool hibiscus water at roadside stands and meeting producers who might want to be part of Erstwhile Mezcals first shipment out of Mexico.

Specifically, we were looking for a partner producer of great Espadn, one that we would be proud to introduce to the world as Erstwhile Mezcals flagship Espadn.

Silverio Garca Luis and Epifania Gmez Meja are a producer family of Zapotec heritage based in Rancho Blanco Gil, Oaxaca. We had met them years before on our first trip to Oaxaca. This time, we went to visit them again, and had a gut feeling even before leaving theirpalenque.

Epifania did not grow up in a mezcal family, butlearned the ropes and became amezcaleraof her own rightafter marrying into the Garca family. She was recently recognized as a Woman in Mezcal in the January 2020 edition ofEl Mezcal, an online publication by the Mezcal Regulatory Council (also known as the CRM, short forConsejo Regulador del Mezcal).

Their Espadin stood out from the (many) others we had tasted. It hit that magical sweet spot of taste, complexity, good value and versatility.

Elegant. Balanced. Nuanced. Approachable but never boring.

Crafted by the Garca family for generations and now available for your collection, the Erstwhile Espadn is your workhorse mezcal. Delicious for savoring a neat pour on its own. But no less stellar in mixed drinks. The perfect gift for the bon vivant in your life. A dynamite addition to any home or professional bar.