Mezcal Derrumbes – San Luis Potosí. This is a super interesting and unique mezcal. Although mezcal is generally noted for its smoky flavor (frequently dubbed as a “smoky version of tequila”), smokiness is not a requirement for the spirit, and this mezcal is actually completely UN-smoked.

This mezcal is totally unlike any others I’ve tasted – it’s vegetal, dusty, savory, and straddles the realm between foreign and familiar. How do I describe this? If removing the smoke aspect from mezcal is too hard to imagine, think of your favorite unaged tequila. Now remove some of the brightness/sharpness. Then throw in some savory vegetables like olives and bell peppers, and some rocks and dust. It’s pretty awesome and really grows on ya.

As a lover of smoke, the smokiness in mezcal is one of the characteristics that attracts me most to the spirit, but to truly appreciate the diversity and complexity of these amazing agave spirits, the lack of smoke really lets the other flavors shine through without distraction. In general I’ve found that smoke is often more prominent in “entry level” mezcals, where the smokiness may be the main selling point of the spirit. In the rarer agaves and more artisan/small-batch productions, generally you don’t want the treasure of the labors masked behind smoke, which is why “higher end” mezcals are often described as fruity/minerally/earthy/vegetal moreso than just smoky.