Some producers make mezcal. De Matachines makes arguments — for biodiversity, for tradition, for the radical idea that the plant itself should do most of the talking. Based in the Sierra Juárez highlands of Oaxaca, this small-batch operation has quietly built one of the most compelling lineups in serious agave circles, and we're proud to carry three of their expressions here at Off Premise.
De Matachines is the project of maestro mezcalero Aquilino García López, working in the rugged mountain terrain of the Northern Sierra, a region that doesn't get nearly enough attention compared to the Miahuatlán corridor or the Central Valleys. Aquilino brings decades of inherited knowledge to his craft — this is a family lineage measured in generations, not press releases. His approach is rooted in the land, shaped by what grows there, and guided by a commitment to doing as little harm as possible to both the ecosystem and the spirit itself.
What separates De Matachines from the crowded field of "artisanal" mezcal is specificity. Aquilino works with agaves that are either endemic to or deeply associated with his region — plants that take decades to mature, that pull minerals and moisture from high-altitude volcanic soils, that taste like nowhere else on earth. That specificity shows up in every bottle.
Production follows time-honored Sierra Juárez methods: wood-fired pit roasting, tahona or mallet crushing, open-air fermentation in pine vats, and small copper or clay pot distillation. Nothing is rushed. Nothing is standardized for volume. The yields are small, the detail is enormous.
The De Matachines Peñasco ($165) is made from agave Peñasco, a wild variety that grows slowly at high elevation and produces a spirit of striking complexity — savory, mineral-driven, with a weight and presence that demands your full attention. This is not a casual Friday night pour. It's a conversation.
The De Matachines Lamparillo Agave Spirits ($145) showcases another rare variety, Lamparillo, which sits outside the DO for mezcal — hence "agave spirits" on the label. Don't let the technicality fool you. The spirit itself is deeply expressive: earthy, herbaceous, and layered in a way that rewards slow sipping.
The De Matachines Ensamble Verde Cenzio ($125) brings two agaves together — Verde and Cenzio — in a co-fermented ensamble that balances brightness and structure. It's the most approachable of the three, but approachable on these terms still means genuinely complex. A great entry point into what this producer does.
We're selective about the agave producers we stock. There's a lot of noise in this category right now — brands chasing trends, labels designed before the liquid is even sourced. De Matachines is the opposite of that. Aquilino's work is grounded in place, built on relationships with wild and semi-wild agave populations that he helps steward responsibly, and bottled without compromise to meet a price point or a marketing brief.
Owner Adam Kamin has spent years navigating the agave spirits world closely enough to recognize when something is genuinely special versus when something just looks the part. De Matachines is the real thing — rare, honest, and worth every dollar on the price tag.
When you open one of these bottles, you're drinking a specific hillside in Oaxaca's Northern Sierra at a specific moment in time. That's not a marketing line. That's just what good agave spirits do.
All three De Matachines expressions are available now at our Lincoln Park shop at 1128 W Armitage Ave, or order online for pickup. Stocks on rare agave bottlings like these don't last — grab yours before they're gone.
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