Criollo 375 mL – Carmelo

Not all of Mexico's mezcal country looks like Oaxaca.

Most of the Estado de México is blanketed in pine forest — but tucked into the hills near Malinalco is a place called El Platanar, "where the bananas grow." It's a tropical anomaly in an otherwise mountainous, cool-climate state, and it's here that maguey Criollo — a catch-all name locals use for any wild agave that isn't tequilana — grows and is distilled into something genuinely singular.

A Living Tradition in a Sacred Valley

Malinalco isn't just mezcal country — it's one of Mesoamerica's most significant archaeological sites, home to a temple carved directly into the mountain rock by Aztec Eagle and Ocelot warriors centuries ago. Mezcal-making here has been passed down for generations, and Carmelo Pedroza Alvarez continues that tradition today, working with wild Criollo agave that thrives in this unusually warm, humid corner of the region — cooked traditionally and double-distilled in copper.

What to Expect in the Glass

Young and expressive, with a nose that opens into citrus peel, smoked meats, and delicate florals, followed by an earthy, herbaceous palate shaped by the agave's tropical terroir. This is a mezcal still finding its voice — vibrant, a little wild, and completely unlike anything coming out of Oaxaca or Durango.

Why This Bottle Matters

The Estado de México is one of mezcal's most overlooked producing regions — most drinkers have never heard of it, let alone tasted what a tropical microclimate can do to an agave spirit. This bottle is proof that "Criollo" doesn't mean generic — it means unclassified, unpredictable, and worth exploring on its own terms.

A great conversation starter for anyone who thinks they've "tried every kind of mezcal."