Bozal Barril Ensamble Mezcal 750ml
Bozal takes its name from the Spanish word for "wild" or "untamed," reflecting the brand's focus on rare, semi-wild, and wild agave varieties that many larger producers overlook. The company works with small family palenques across Oaxaca, sourcing agave and traditional know-how from growers who have cultivated and foraged these varietals for generations. This Ensamble expression is crafted by master distillers Marcelino and Onofre Ortiz in the Miahuatlán and Etla regions of Oaxaca, where mezcal-making methods have remained largely unchanged for centuries.
This blend brings together three distinct agave varieties: cultivated EspadÃn, along with wild Barril and Mexicano. The piñas are slow-roasted in an earthen pit oven, then crushed using a horse-drawn tahona wheel before fermenting naturally in open-air wooden vats with wild airborne yeast and deep well water. The mosto is then twice distilled in small copper pot stills, a process that allows each agave's individual character to come through in the final blend.
The nose opens with ripe pear, green apple, allspice, and a touch of vanilla. Barril takes the lead on the palate with bright lime zest and stone fruit, backed by a grounding note of green pepper, while Mexicano lends a warm, viscous body. The finish is long and complex, closing on a soft mineral note that lingers well after the last sip.