Producer Mezcal announced the launch of its newest expression of mezcal, Arroqueño, which joins the Tepeztate and Ensamble expressions launched in late 2021. Arroqueño will be available to purchase in very limited quantities on Mash&Grape this month, along with the rest of Producer Mezcal’s portfolio.

Hailing from Oaxaca, Mexico, Producer Mezcal seeks to present mezcals that speak to patience, passion, and appreciation for heritage and craftsmanship, according to a news release.

As a central tenet of their production philosophy, Producer Mezcal is passionate about supporting and investing in the community infrastructure and individuals who contribute toward crafting their artisanal agave spirits an d curbing the environmental impact on its native Oaxaca as it relates to harvesting rare, wild agaves such as Arroqueño.

Arroqueño is a wild-grown variety agave native to Oaxaca, famous for its long maturation time, massive size, and increasing rarity. Producer Mezcal’s expression of Arroqueño derives its distinctly complex flavor profile from a variety of factors, including variations in the plants’ maturity stages, terpene compounds resulting from fluctuations in weather conditions and the effects of terroir over many years, and the preferred cooking and fermentation methods employed by Santos.

The Arroqueño (agave oaxacensis) is grown, harvested, crushed, fermented, and distilled entirely in Ejutla La Noria Sec. 13 by maestro Juan Pacheco Santos. After harvesting plants averaging upwards of 17 years in age, the split agave hearts are roasted for 72 hours in a traditional horno (earthen oven) using huamuchil wood.

After resting for a brief period, the agave is crushed using a traditional bull-pulled stone tahona wheel, then goes on to ferment for 8-10 days in cypress wood (sabino or ahuelhuete). Once the fermentation process is complete, the liquid is distilled using a refrescador, a distillation method which allows for two distillations during a single pass through the still.

There are only 800, 750 ml-sized bottles of Arroqueño available in the U.S. market. SRP is $156.99 SRP; ABV is 46%.

To learn more, visit producermezcal.com.