Scorpion Mezcal Añejo 7 Year Old

Roasted agave comes through first, sweet and earthy, with pit smoke curling underneath it. Seven years in oak have softened the edges considerably: vanilla rounds out the sweetness, and dried fruit sits behind it with a warm, raisiny depth. Spice and oak carry the close, dry and gently peppery.

This comes from Oaxaca, where the agave is roasted underground before fermentation, which is where the smoke originates rather than any later addition. It is additive free, so what reaches the palate is agave, fire and time in wood, nothing else. Seven years is a long rest for mezcal, and it shows in the texture more than anywhere else.

Sipped slowly at room temperature, the 750 mL bottle rewards attention without demanding it. This is the kind of añejo that suits an unhurried evening rather than a mixing shelf, and it holds up well over several nights once opened.