Quiquiriqui Tepeztate Mezcal

Bright and headily perfumed with intense floral aromas, sweet metallic notes and lingering fruitiness on the palate. This full-bodied Mezcal is highlighted by its silky texture and bold, meaty flavor, followed by an almost ferrous zing and delicate wood smoke for a truly unique experience.

Tepeztate is only available seasonally, and grows wild around the state of Oaxaca. Its part of the Marmorata agave family and has a very distinct appearance (wide and twisted leaves with erratic structure). Despite all odds it seems to flourish best on the sides of steep, rocky cliffs and so its difficult to find and to gather. Widely considered the jewel in the crown of all Oaxacan agaves, Tepeztate can take as many as 30 years to mature in the wild.

The QQRQ Tepeztate was made by Orlando Altamirano from Zoquitlan, with purely traditional and artisanal production. After the mature agave was pit-roasted, it was crushed with a tahona, then fermented wild in wooden vats. It was double-distilled in alembic stills.