El Jolgorio Tepeztate Mezcal

El Jolgorio is a range of artisanal mezcal from Oaxaca, made from a wide variety of rare, unique agave species.

In Mexico, there are around fifty different species of agave used for mezcal production, each yielding a mezcal with its own distinct character. In 2010, the Cortés family begain buiding a collective of top mezcal distillers from around Oaxaca, with the goal of sharing the true culture and spirit of mezcal with the world. In all, El Jolgorio represents sixteen different families, working in ten different regions of Oaxaca, Mexico, each with its own special story. Every bottle is hand-marked with the specific details of each batch, to truly connect the drinker with the family behind the expression.

Agave Tepeztate is possibly the most interesting agave, due to its extremely long growing period. It can take between 25-35 years for the agave to reach maturity and only grows in the wild. It prefers to grow on steep grades and can often be found hanging horizontally out of mountain cliffs. Due to its wide leaves, it captures more water and has a large, swollen piña. The resulting mezcal is unparalleled in complexity, often featuring prominent minerality, like licking a wet stone, with subtle hints of citrus and spice. 

This batch was made by Maestro Mezcalero Ignacio Parada in Santa Maria Zoquitlan, Oaxaca. The Tepeztate agaves were aged for 20 years before harvesting, and the resulting mezcal is bottled at 48.2% abv. 

Label art by Alejandro Peña