An intriguing single-varietal agave mezcal from the Bozal company.

Bozal take their name from the Spanish word meaning “wild” or “untamed”, so chosen because they uses wild varieties of agave to make their mezcal.

This mezcal is made with Tobasiche, a subspecies of the Karwinskii family of agave. Tobasiche takes a considerable time to mature, as long as 13 years, meaning it is not often used by distillers. A wild agave, it typically produces a spirit with herbaceous qualities, an earthy undertone and a striking cedarwood note.

Bozal only use producers that make mezcal the traditional way – cooking the piña (or heart of the agave) in earthen pits, and crushing the plants with horse drawn stone wheels. Fermentation always occurs in the open air with natural yeast, before the spirit is double distilled in traditional copper pot stills. This bottling was produced in the town of Río de Ejutla in Oaxaca.

This Tobasiche based mezcal offers up notes of quince, fresh chopped herbs, succulent agave, anise, flinty minerality, peppery spice, honey, some flowers and honey roasted cashews. Notably sweeter than many mezcals.

Bottled at 47% ABV for body and warmth, this is a joven (or unaged) mezcal.

Bozal present their spirits in ceramic bottles to recall the traditional terracotta cups used to drink mezcal in Mexico. Azul blue coloured bottlings indicate that this is a single maguey mezcal.

• Distillery / brand
  Bozal
• Country
  Mexico
• Non-chillfiltered
  No
• Natural colour
  Yes
• SKU
  041800