Mezonte Jalisco Santos Juarez

An exceptional ancestral agave spirit bottled under the Mezonte non-profit project, which works to preserve traditional agave spirits and bio-cultural diversity across Mexico. Handcrafted by Maestro Mezcalero Santos Juárez in the southern highlands of Jalisco, this spirit is produced using wild and semi-cultivated agaves native to the region, such as Maguey Lineño and Maguey Ixtero Amarillento. The agave hearts are pit-roasted underground with wood, crushed by hand using wooden mallets, naturally fermented with ambient wild yeasts in wood and stone vats, and distilled in traditional Filipino-style wooden stills with a copper bowl, resulting in an exceptionally authentic, small-batch spirit.

Food Pairing: Roasted pork carnitas, braised short ribs, grilled octopus, aged cotija cheese, and dark cacao desserts.

Tasting Notes: Clear with dense viscosity and heavy legs, offering a rich, full-bodied mouthfeel that balances bright tropical fruit notes, sweet roasted agave, and a deep, rustic mineral earthiness.

Nose: Highly expressive and complex with notes of cooked agave, ripe tropical fruit (papaya, guava), fresh pine needles, citrus peel, wet clay, and soft wood smoke.

Palate: Rich, oily, and multi-layered, featuring flavors of sweet roasted agave, citrus zest, green herbs, white pepper, earthy minerals, and a gentle, integrated wood ash smoke.

Finish: Long, warm, and memorable, lingering with notes of sweet wild agave, tropical fruit syrup, light pepper spice, and clean, earthy stone minerals.

Serve: Served neat at room temperature in a traditional copita, jícara, or wide-rimmed glass to appreciate its full botanical and artisanal complexity.