Sombra is a mezcal from Oaxaca, made the old way: agave hearts roasted in an earthen pit, then crushed, fermented and distilled. Nothing is added to hurry it along, and the smoke in the glass is the smoke of that fire.
- Mezcal from Oaxaca, Mexico.
- 43% ABV, 750ml bottle.
- Roasted agave, smoke and citrus.
- Mineral, peppery finish.
How it is made
Mezcal begins underground. Agave hearts, the piñas, are roasted in a pit lined with hot stones and wood, which is where the smoke comes from, and it comes from the fire rather than from a barrel. The cooked agave is then crushed, fermented and distilled. Tequila is mezcal too, made from one agave in one region; Oaxaca works with far more.
How it tastes
Earthy roasted agave leads, with smoke wrapped around it rather than sitting on top. Citrus cuts through the middle, and the finish is mineral and peppery, dry and long. At 43% it carries weight without burning.
Good to know
Oaxaca is the heartland of mezcal, and most of it comes from small palenques where a maestro mezcalero decides when the roast is ready by smell and touch. The word itself means "cooked agave" in Nahuatl.
