Reviews / Origen Raiz Cenizo

Review · · by The Editors

Origen Raiz Cenizo

Durango cenizo doing what Durango cenizo does, at a price that should embarrass some Oaxaca houses

Score: 4.0/5 agaves

Origen Raiz Cenizo bottle
  • Producer: Origen Raiz del Espiritu Mezcal
  • Maestro: Ignacio Grijalva Paulino, Ignacio Grijalva Santiago, Noé Ramirez Varela
  • Region: Nombre de Dios, Tuitán, Durango
  • Agave: Cenizo
  • ABV: 48%
  • Price: $70 ($$)

Verdict

This is the Origen Raíz bottle that earns the brand's existence. Cenizo from the state's altiplano, proofed where it needs to be, rendered with enough restraint to let the terroir do the talking. Think of it as a peer to the Amaras Logia Durango bottle rather than a competitor to Oaxacan espadín – different country, different rules, different reward.

The Durango bottle that makes you wonder why you've been buying Oaxaca espadín

Tasting notes

Nose: Hot hay, cracked pepper, menthol, dark honey

Palate: Cenizo's characteristic herbal-mineral frame at a confident 48%, with the state's dry-climate agave showing both the heat and the floral lift that make it distinctive

Finish: Warming, flinty – long

The bottom line

Buy. The best introduction to Durango cenizo at this price tier

Where to buy online

We found this bottle at 1 US retailer. Prices and stock vary – click through to check.

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