Artisanal mezcal in Oaxaca

Artisanal mezcal in Oaxaca: No two batches are alike

Not all mezcal produced in Oaxaca is smoky, and the difference between mezcal and tequila is not simply industrial versus artisanal. Mezcal is gaining attention because each small batch reflects unique methods, environments, and choices that shape its final character.

After growing for eight years or more, mature agave plants are harvested and their hearts, called piñas, are slow-roasted underground using firewood and heated stones at family-run palenques, converting natural carbohydrates into sugars needed for fermentation.

The roasted piñas are crushed by hand or with a heavy stone tahona pulled by an animal. The fibers are then fermented in large vats with added water and naturally occurring yeasts before being distilled, usually twice, in copper alembics or traditional clay pots.

Alcohol strength is adjusted according to the palenquero’s taste or market preference. Although mezcal production follows scientific principles, it relies mainly on experience and inherited knowledge, making each batch a unique expression rather than a standardized product.

Terroir and environmental influence on mezcal flavor

Often, subsistence farmers sell their agave to palenqueros because they cannot wait a decade to monetize their land fully. To survive, they plant crops such as corn, beans, squash, garbanzo, or alfalfa between agave rows, gradually altering soil conditions over time.

Each additional crop affects the soil in a different way, influencing agave growth and development. These subtle changes in nutrients and moisture directly shape the sugars formed in the plant, which later influence aroma, texture, and flavor in the finished mezcal.

If mezcal is produced from agave grown by one farmer one month and another the next, the batches will differ even when using the same species of agave. Palenqueros rarely know which crops influenced the agave plants or for how long during growth.

Agave harvested from different sides of a mountain also varies in character. Sun exposure, temperature, rainfall, and wind conditions change across slopes, affecting plant development and resulting in noticeable flavor differences from one batch of mezcal to another.

Baking piñas: firewood, temperature, and flavor

If you roast anything in a sealed chamber over firewood for several days, the type of wood and its moisture will affect quality, as will temperature and airflow. In mezcal production, these small differences change the taste and aroma of the resulting spirit uniquely.

Palenqueros often prefer hardwood over pine, but even using hardwood, logs come from different species, such as oak, mesquite, or sometimes eucalyptus and others, adding subtle variations between batches and influencing the final flavor of each mezcal produced carefully.

Even though baking all piñas evenly is preferred, it rarely happens. Some piñas are roasted less, others more, and occasionally some are almost charred, making them entirely unsuitable for distillation but still contributing to the unique flavor of each batch.

The depth and extent of baking directly influence the sweetness, smokiness, and aroma of the agave hearts. Each careful decision during roasting contributes to the uniqueness of each mezcal batch, making every bottle slightly different and uniquely memorable.

Fermentation vats and water

Not all fermentation vessels are created equally, and the type of vat significantly impacts mezcal flavor. While most in Oaxaca use wooden vats that last several years, palenqueros are continually buying new ones and discarding old ones to maintain quality.

Artisanal mezcal production typically relies on well or mountain spring water added to tinas filled with sweet, baked, crushed agave. Both sources have unique mineral compounds that vary with the season, subtly altering flavor, aroma, and quality of each mezcal batch produced.

True open-air fermentation depends on invisible yeasts floating in the environment. These yeasts shift with seasons, and even day to day, affecting the final product. Every batch, therefore, develops unique characteristics that cannot be precisely replicated by any palenquero.

Even if all else remains constant – piñas, equipment, and production methods—a batch of mezcal distilled today will differ from one made months later, because the yeasts involved in fermentation are naturally variable, giving each bottle a distinctive taste and aroma.

Distilling and alcohol by volume ABV

Industrial production aims to maintain consistent flavor and ABV (alcohol by volume) by carefully controlling temperature and distillation speed using precise equipment, ensuring mezcal meets commercial standards while minimizing variation between batches.

Artisanal production relies entirely on the skill of the palenquero. He watches the flame and the flow of liquid from the spigot, making careful adjustments with firewood or flame to ensure the spirit develops its intended taste and character uniquely for each batch.

Artisanal production relies entirely on the skill of the palenquero. He watches the flame and the flow of liquid from the spigot, making careful adjustments with firewood or flame, ensuring each batch develops its intended flavor, aroma, and unique character.

Using a venencia, a river reed, he controls the “cuts” of the distillate – beginning (punta), middle (cuerpo), and end (cola). Each part has subtle flavor differences, and his skill ensures the mezcal meets his expectations while remaining different from every other batch produced.

His experience ensures that each spirit achieves a balance and character to his liking, though it will always vary slightly from one batch to the next, giving collectors and enthusiasts a unique tasting experience with every bottle of artisanal mezcal.

Epilogue

Your master palenquero aims to craft every batch of mezcal as perfectly as possible, knowing it cannot exactly match the last. For those who enjoy it, the subtle differences between bottles are part of the fun of tasting and collecting artisanal, handcrafted mezcal.

So cheers, salud, or down the hatch! Drink slowly, savoring each sip, because every shot of this fascinating agave-based spirit is likely to taste slightly different from the last, reflecting the unique skill, choices, and environment behind every artisanal batch.

Author: Alvin Starkman, Mezcal Educational Excursions of Oaxaca. Alvin is the principal creator of the first comprehensive full-color mezcal tasting wheel boasting over 200 flavors and aromas, and the author of Mezcal in the Global Spirits Market: Unrivalled Complexity, Innumerable Nuances (2014).