The Tasting Panel magazine

August 2017

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106  /  the tasting panel  /  august 2017 MEZCAL hat is premium tequila made from? Any mixologist who can salt-rim a Margarita glass knows the answer: Weber blue agave (Agave tequilana Weber azul). What is mezcal made from? Most would hazard a good guess that it's made from Agave espadín. However, the rub is that mezcal can be made from around 30 different agave varieties that come from any of the appellated areas in eight different Mexican states. The key word here is "around," because there is no NOM (Norma Oficial Mexicana) mezcal standard that lists all of the agave varieties. There is a NOM that lists five—agave espadín, maguey de cerro, maguey de mezcal, maguey de tobalá and maguey verde o mezcalero—but it also allows other types, as long as they're not used as the primary agave in another DO (Denominación de Origen) mezcal in the same state. Mezcal, BOZAL FOCUSES ON VARIETAL MEZCAL by Jessie Birschbach The domesticated Agave espadín in Mexico. Traditional clay pot stills used to distill Bozal Mezcal. UNTAMED!

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