Mezcasiarca Verde

Verdict

Mezcasiarca trades on Sandra's line about deserving your mezcal, and Verde earns the philosophy. The clay-pot distillation shows in the mid-palate weight, and the agave carries as a cool, stony cousin to the Matatlán espadín crowd. Small release, one data point, but the liquid is serious – closer to Real Minero's clay-pot catalog than to a debut bottle.

Tasting notes

Nose: Wet stone, then cooked agave, green pepper skin, a thread of lime leaf

Palate: Clay-pot viscosity at roughly 50% – mineral backbone, cucumber and verbena wrapping a savory core. Verde reads cool and green rather than sweet

Finish: Vegetal, slightly saline

The bottom line

Buy it when you see it; single-batch clay pot at this caliber doesn't stay on shelves