El Buho Tobala Espadin Mezcal

El Buho Tobala Espadin Mezcal

Named after a dark, mystical owl represented in ancient Mexican folklore, El Buho Mezcal represents a new breed of agave spirits. Mezcal is often referred to as the grandfather of tequila because it's centuries older, but that's not completely accurate tequila is made from blue agave near Tequila, Mexico, while mezcal can be made from agave grown elsewhere in Mexico. El Buho Mezcal, made from agave grown in Oaxaca, Mexico the birthplace of mezcal is produced by a fifth-generation family of mezcal distillers. Near the El Buho farm in Oaxaca, espadin agave plants that are nearly a decade old are hand-selected by expert jimadors who determine exactly when each plant is perfectly ripened and ready to harvest. The hearts of the agave, or pias, are then slowly roasted in a stone pit fire between Oaxacan earth and local mesquite for an entire week, before they are crushed under a tahona (a stone mill). After the resulting mash is fermented, it is double pot distilled in the same alembic still that the first generation of El Buho Mezcal producers used. Crisp, smooth and incredibly approachable, El Buho is a mezcal without pretense. El Buho Tobala-Espadin is handcrafted by maestro mezcalero Octavio Jimnez Monterroza with 85% wild agave Tobala and 15% cultivated agave Espadin sourced from Santa Maria Zoquitlan, Oaxaca. The agaves are crushed traditionally with a tahona, fermented for nine days in pine vats, before being double distilled in a copper pot still. Aged in stainless steel tanks for six months this mezcal has signature notes of caramelized pineapple, sea salt, and buttery popcorn.