Reviews / Tepextate Mezcal

Tepextate Mezcal

Tepextate (Agave marmorata – also written tepeztate by some producers) is the wild agave that takes 25 years to mature – twice as long as tobalá, three times as long as espadín. Bottlings are scarce, expensive, and reference-quality when they're done right. Tepextate's profile leans green and mineral with a long pepper-and-herb finish that reads unlike anything else in the category. The agave wants proof: 47% or higher to carry its complexity, anything lower will read flat. The high end of producer lineups runs $90+; below that the agave is rarely worth the bottle.