El Jolgorio Coyote Mezcal

Mezcal covers a lot of ground, and much of what separates one bottle from the next comes down to the agave itself. This one is made from Coyote, a wild variety grown in Oaxaca, and it drinks with the kind of aromatic lift that makes wild agaves worth seeking out. It is additive free, so what reaches the palate is agave, roast, and place.

Floral agave leads, bright and slightly perfumed, with tropical fruit sitting just behind it. Green herbs run underneath and give the whole thing a savory edge. The finish turns mineral and dry, with the gentle smoke that comes from roasting agave in an earthen pit rather than any heavy char.

Sip it at room temperature from a copita, small pours, no ice. The 750 mL bottle holds up well on a shelf of agave spirits.