This 170-liter batch of Espadin-Tobaziche is representation of a typical Santa Catarina Minas "mezcla," the co-roast, co-ferment and co-distillation of 2 or more agave varieties. Maestro Mezcalero "Tio" Pedro Pascual Hernandez produced this small batch from cultivated Espadin (A.angustifolia) and Tobaziche (A.karwinskii) harvested from the Oaxacan Central Valleys. Along with his nephew Lalo, Tio Pedro roasted the agaves in his modest 3-ton underground oven with encino oak. After unearthing the oven and letting the cooked agaves rest for a few days, neighbors and nephews helped mash the roasted agave by hand with wooden mallets. The mash was subsequently heaped into pine tanks and allowed to ferment with well-water for nearly two weeks. As in the tradition in Santa Catarina Minas, Tio {edro used clay pot stills made in Santa Maria Atzompa to double-distill the fermented mash. <br /><br />170 Liters produced<br />Adjusted with heads, hearts and tails<br />Distilled July 2021 and rested in glass demijohns for three months prior to bottling October 2021<br />50.9%<br /><br />In 2015, El Destilado was started. Two young guys, Jason Cox from opposite sides of the United States met in Oaxaca, where they were drawn to the vibrant colors, culture, food, and of course, mezcal. As a friendship developed, so did a plan: Scour the Mexican countryside in search of delicious and obscure mezcals, and serve those spirits in a small mezcaleria. That mezcaleria eventually evolved into a highly-acclaimed 32-seat restaurant, and coveted bottles of their nano-batch spirits began making their way to restaurants, bars, and spirits enthusiasts' personal collections outside of Mexico.<br /><br />Eventually, it became time to share a selection of El Destilado's agave spirits with a broader audience. We at El Destilado bring that selection to you in the form of Cinco Sentidos: a project that aims to highlight the various production processes, agave diversity, and talents and traditions of the amazing people who make the spirits with rigor and esteem. Cinco Sentidos does not blend, age, or otherwise alter the spirits from their original form.