Chuparrosa 375 mL – Sergio Martinez

This isn't the Espadín you think you know.

Technically classified as Espadín for certification purposes, maguey Chacaleño is a completely different animal from the agave grown in Oaxaca. It's endemic to Mexico's rugged "Golden Triangle" — the borderlands of Durango, Chihuahua, and Sinaloa — where the climate is harsher, the elevation is higher, and the agave grows slower, wilder, and more concentrated in character.

Meet the Mezcalero

Carlos Ángulo Rios crafts this mezcal in El Platanar de Sianori, a remote community in the municipality of Topia, tucked into the Las Quebradas region of Durango. It's mezcal country most drinkers have never heard of — and that's exactly the point. Carlos cooks the agave in an underground oven, mills it by hand, ferments it naturally, and distills it in copper.

What to Expect in the Glass

Aromatic and layered — think sandalwood, incense, and dusty earth on the nose, opening into a bold palate of sage, black pepper, and mineral dryness with a long, evolving finish. It's a mezcal that rewards attention, with flavors that shift the longer it sits in the glass.

Why This Bottle Matters

Northern Mexican mezcal is still a frontier for most drinkers — overshadowed by Oaxaca, but arguably more distinctive. This bottle is a passport to a region defined by extremes, distilled by a producer keeping a rare tradition alive. If you thought you'd tried every kind of Espadín, this one will prove you wrong.

Best sipped neat. A great entry point into "off the beaten path" mezcal for the curious drinker.