Reviews / Paquera Ancestral Espadin with Wagyu

Review · · by The Editors

Paquera Ancestral Espadin with Wagyu

Wagyu pechuga – the premium-beef version of a Oaxacan tradition

Score: 3.5/5 agaves

Paquera Ancestral Espadin with Wagyu bottle
  • Producer: Paquera Mezcal
  • Maestro: Valentin Orozco Lopez
  • Region: Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca
  • Agave: Espadin
  • ABV: 48%
  • Price: $230 ($$)

Verdict

Ancestral-still pechuga with premium beef is a high-concept bottle that could easily be a gimmick; Paquera's execution is better than that. The clay-still texture pulls against the premium-beef suggestion in a way that sits as serious rather than absurd. Reach for it as a pechuga-category curiosity, though Palalma's al pastor still outranks it as the category's high-concept reference.

Wagyu pechuga is the bottle you open once for the story and twice for the liquid

Tasting notes

Nose: Cooked agave, then beef fat, dark herb

Palate: 48% of ancestral-still espadín with wagyu carried through – the meat reads clearly rather than as decoration, with the clay-still distillate supplying a rougher texture than a copper one would

Finish: Savory, warming – long

The bottom line

Worth reaching for once. Al pastor remains the reference pechuga

Where to buy online

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

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