PALENQUEROS Espadin Gregorio Martinez (Mezcal)

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 50.7% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

This Pure Single Palenque is made exclusively from Espadín agaves and bottled as a Joven, meaning unaged. The agaves are cooked in an underground, conical stone oven, then crushed by a horse-drawn stone mill. Natural fermentation takes five days in oak vessels. The fermented mash is then distilled twice in a wood-fired copper pot still with a capacity of 250 litres.

The mezcal from batch GM-ES01 was bottled directly at its natural distillation strength of 50.7%. The release comprises 1,429 bottles. Its bold character combines ripe fruit and citrus with pepper, anise, delicate olive notes and fresh wood, with a subtle smoky note in the finish.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: The nose is sweet and vinous. Anise and fresh wood stand out, accompanied by fresh pepper, sweet-and-sour fruit, citrus and a delicate hint of olive.
• Palate: The mezcal is intense and lively on the palate. Fresh, ripe fruit defines the flavour, complemented by savoury notes and an astringent mouthfeel.
• Finish: The lingering finish combines sweetness with a subtle smoky note.

Distillery/Bottler:

Eduardo Martínez produces the Espadín in San Baltazar Guelavila, a village in the Tlacolula region of Oaxaca, continuing the work of his father Gregorio. Gregorio Martínez was a second-generation member of a Zapotec family of producers and died in late 2023. His name and portrait remain part of this bottling’s presentation.

Luca Gargano launched the Palenqueros range with six master distillers from Oaxaca. The project highlights not only the agave varieties and places of origin, but also the people behind the spirits. Their names and portraits appear on the bottles. The range comprises artisan agave spirits, each made at a single palenque, a traditional production site, and bottled at natural strength.

Facts: