Casa Maestri Mezcal 750 ml

Casa Maestri's mezcal is an unaged bottling from the Mexican house whose name usually appears on tequila. Mezcal takes its character from agave roasted in an earthen pit before crushing and distilling, and that smoke is the first thing you notice here — sweet woodsmoke over roasted agave on the nose. The palate follows with cooked agave sugars, green herbs, a little citrus peel and a black pepper bite; the finish is dry, smoky and warm. It is approachable enough to serve as someone's first mezcal. Sip it neat in a copita with an orange slice, or swap it for tequila in a smoky Paloma.

MezcalJalisco, Mexico