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Del Maguey Vida De San Luis Del Rio Mezcal, 70 cl

£9.9£99Clearance
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Mezcal is mostly produced in the Oaxaca region of Mexico, and the locals personify the artisanal approach to distilling. We’re seeing a resurgence of these types of independent distilleries around the world, but in Oaxaca – they’ve been doing it for generations. In contrast, Del Maguey highlights dozens of one-of-a-kind, age-old traditions, ones cultivated by generations of families in small villages across Mexico. My favorite source of agave spirits is Old Town Tequila; other options include Astor Wines and Caskers. How to drink Del Maguey? If you prefer a chilled drink, I recommend using large ice cubes to avoid excessive dilution. Artwork

The burgeoning popularity of Del Maguey has helped pave the way for a more diverse agave spirits landscape in the United States. Del Maguey (pronounced ma–gay), Single Village Mezcal was founded in 1995 by internationally renowned artist and Mezcal visionary, Ron Cooper. Ron introduced the world to previously unavailable 100% certified organic, artisanal Mezcal produced the original handcrafted way. Through deep cultural relationships with Zapotec Mexican Indian producers in the remote villages of Oaxaca, Mexico, Del Maguey harnesses ancient, original organic processes. Combining these methods with varying micro-climates and terroir gives each creation its own unique, rich, sweet and smoky character. Every product in their collection is made by individual family palenqueros (producers) in old-style villages. They are the first producer to credit each product after the village where our liquid is made. When you see their beautiful green bottles you know it’s Del Maguey. Most of Del Maguey’s mezcals are distilled to proof, so the ABV will vary slightly between batches.Here, I’m not just sharing opinions; I’m weaving tales from the rich tapestry of my experiences over these three decades. By far the most recommended brand of the bunch, Banhez Joven is what’s known as an ensamble—a mixture of agave varieties, in this case 90 percent espadín and 10 percent barril agaves—made by the Unión Productores de Agropecuarios del Distrito de Ejutla de Crespo (UPADEC), a co-op of farmers and producers located in Ejutla, Oaxaca. “I love that Banhez is produced by a co-op of mezcaleros, so you know that every dollar spent on this mezcal directly benefits the community and hands that produce it,” says Salehi.

In the beginning, and for a long time, Del Maguey was a very small operation,” Éva Pelczer, the global education manager for Pernod Ricard, says. “The idea [of Del Maguey] is to bring this liquid art form, this 400-year-old culture, to a global audience completely intact.” You can swap in mezcal in any tequila-based drink, including Margaritas, but given its rich, intense character, it’s also a good substitute for scotch or whiskey in classics like the Old Fashioned. But it’s wonderful sipped neat in a traditional manner, followed by an orange slice dipped in sal de gusano, a salt blended with chiles and insect larva. Nowadays, Del Maguey releases 25 bottles produced by ten families and nine different agave varietals. There’s an infinite quality to the culture. There’s so much richness and history, and we’re just scratching the surface with what we’re able to access in the U.S.”This combination of traditional methods lends San Luis del Rio Azul a distinct flavor profile that marries the best of both worlds. Swanson agrees, adding, “Mezcal is one of the most labor-intensive exports out there, and is culturally and historically the most significant product coming out of Mexico. It should be consumed with the appropriate respect for what goes into it,” she says, summarizing: “Buy small, buy private, do your homework.” The new Del Maguey Vida Puebla is made from 100% Espadín agave, which is roasted underground and naturally fermented before it is distilled twice in copper stills. But there was one art form that had a profound impact on him, one that would eventually irrevocably shift the spirits landscape: mezcal. Cooper’s curiosity about the spirit led him down dirt roads where, according to his book “Finding Mezcal: A Journey into the Liquid Soul of Mexico,” he’d ask lonesome travelers, the woman selling tortillas on the street, anyone he came across, “Dondé está el mejor?” Where is the best? before following their pointed finger to the palenques — open-air mezcal distilleries — scattered in the wilds of Oaxaca.

Each of these families produces on vastly different scales, varying not only in quantity but in agave varietals and production methods. While the ever-popular Del Maguey Vida might use electric milling to hasten the production process, expressions like Tobala and Las Milpas use traditional methods which have remained the same for over 200 years. The word Mezcal comes from Metl or Mexcalmetl, the prehispanic Nahuatl language, meaning Agave. Today the commonly used word for Agave in Oaxaca is Maguey (pronounced ma-gay).This cookie is set by Rubicon Project to control synchronization of user identification and exchange of user data between various ad services. Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal is iconic among those familiar with mezcal in the United States. Easily distinguished by the colorful hand-drawn art adorning each of its over 2 dozen bottles, Del Maguey has established itself as one of the world’s best-selling mezcal brands since it was founded in 1995. During a tasting with New York-based brand education director Éva Pelczer, she said Miller wants folks to think about Del Maguey mezcal the way they think about wine — considering the different varietals of agave, different regions, and different production methods used to make the spirit. Sure enough, among the 25+ different expressions that the green-glassed Del Maguey now spans, the flavor profiles available really run the gamut. They even change slightly from year to year due to a variety of elements ranging from climate to the wild yeasts that happen to land on the agave hearts. (Batch numbers are printed on all Del Maguey bottles, so you can easily compare one year to another if you’re so inclined.) Sometimes keeping it simple with fresh, classic ingredients is the way to go, especially for novice mezcal drinkers.” The Mezcal Journey It’s a nice way of saying that you’re going to leave something out to rot,” says Pelczer. “In practice, it means the ambient yeast in the air is doing the fermentation, which is super variable according to time and place.”

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