Corte Vetusto, Ancestral Ensamble, Issue 01, Mezcal, Oaxaca, Mexico (47.5%)

There are artisan, hand made products, then there is this! Ancestral makes up less than 2% of the mezcal market and this is at the ultra-niche end of the spectrum. A true artisan product. Corte Vetusto’s Ancestral Mezcal comes from fourth-generation 'maestro mezcalero' Isidro Damian. A blend of Espadin and the rare Sierra Negra agave, hand cut and smoked in small pits before being crushed with wooden mallets by hand. Fermentation takes place in small wooden vats before distillation in tiny clay pots, fired by mesquite ovens, one with an old alloy wheel in it to regulate temperature! There is a faint note of smoke on the nose but it’s the intense grapefruit pith and crushed black pepper that stands out. Silky smooth on the palate, this is a total delight to sip quietly on its own. Forget about salt and lime wedges or worms in the bottle, this is a spirit of the highest order. If it was whisky, it would be many, many times dearer. Truly fabulous.

Fergus Stewart, Private Client Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd (May 2023)