Reviews / Mezcal from Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca

Mezcal from Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca

Santiago Matatlán bills itself as 'World Capital of Mezcal,' and by volume the claim holds. The village is the spiritual and commercial home of espadín – Ilegal, Montelobos, Nuestra Soledad Matatlán, Mestiza Negra, and dozens of smaller palenques all come from here. Matatlán mezcal is typically smoky, structural, and forward; you taste the village's industry as much as its terroir. The bottles below cover Matatlán's range from Doña Juana's $20 espadín up through the $90 single-maestro releases. For a curated cocktail-friendly entry, see our margaritas listicle.