Danzantes Espadin Joven

Los Danzantes Espad*n Joven is an artisanal mezcal from Oaxaca, Mexico, produced from Espad*n agave (Agave angustifolia). It comes from Los Danzantes, a producer whose roots date to 1995 and which has become closely associated with traditional Oaxacan mezcal culture. This is the youthful, unaged expression of Espad*n: made to showcase cooked agave rather than maturation in oak.

Traditional mezcal production gives the spirit its characteristic interplay of roasted agave, earth, herbs, fruit and smoke, but the appeal here is balance. Rather than simply being "the smoky one", Los Danzantes Espad*n Joven offers plenty of freshness and vegetal complexity around that smoky core.

Espad*n is the workhorse agave of Oaxaca for good reason. It can produce mezcal with impressive depth while remaining approachable, making this a particularly good introduction to serious artisanal mezcal, equally at home sipped slowly from a copita or used in a properly good cocktail. Tasting Notes Colour: Crystal clear.

Nose: Roasted agave leads, followed by fresh herbs, green fruit, citrus peel and earthy mineral notes. Smoke is present but integrated rather than overpowering. Palate: Bright and expressive, combining sweet cooked agave with citrus, pepper, gentle herbal notes and a savoury earthiness. A thread of wood smoke runs through the palate, balanced by fresh vegetal character.

Finish: Dry, warming and persistent, with lingering roasted agave, pepper, minerals and soft smoke. Technical Details Producer: Los DanzantesCountry: MexicoRegion: OaxacaSpirit Type: Artisanal MezcalAgave: Espad*n (Agave angustifolia)Style: Joven / UnagedMaturation: UnagedBottle Size: 750ml About Los Danzantes Los Danzantes has been operating since 1995, with a focus extending beyond simply bottling mezcal to celebrating and preserving Mexican, and particularly Oaxacan food and drinks culture.

For someone whose only reference point for mezcal is "tequila, but smoky", Los Danzantes Espad*n Joven is a very good bottle to prove there's considerably more going on. The smoke is part of the story; roasted agave, herbs, fruit, pepper and earthy minerality are what make it interesting.