Fosforo Mezcal Tobala Ensamble 750mL

While Oaxaca often steals the limelight, fourth-generation mezcalero Aarón Alva Sánchez is quietly proving that the rugged, high-elevation terrain of San Nicolás Huajuapan produces agaves with a character all their own.

This expression is a thoughtful marriage of the wild, finicky Tobalá and the fruit-forward Espadilla (a regional relative of the ubiquitous Espadín). It’s an artisanal effort through and through: the piñas are roasted in underground pits for nearly a week before undergoing a slow, natural fermentation in open-air wooden vats.