Cinco Sentidos La colección Mixteca Edition 4--Azul

This batch of azul mezcal from Cinco Sentidos showcases agave Tequilana Weber distilled not in Jalisco but 250 miles southeast, in Reyes Metzontla, Puebla. Maestro mezcalero couple Atelo Ramírez and Laura Arriaga spotted the cultivated blue agave during a road trip to Morelos, purchased a truckload, and brought it back to their palenque to produce this edition of La Colección Mixteca. The result is a bottled snapshot of what happens when tequila's most famous agave crosses state lines and meets traditional mezcal production—distilled in July 2023, bottled June 2024, 304 liters total. Cinco Sentidos releases single-village, single-mezcalero spirits that document the producer's hand and the region's terroir in precise detail, and this bottle is no exception. Atelo roasted the piñas in an underground conical pit oven for five days over mesquite, insulating the pit with pirúl leaves to regulate heat. He then hand-mashed the cooked agave with a wooden mallet and initiated a dry fermentation for four days before adding spring water and letting the mash ferment for another six days. The first distillation took place in a hybrid still fashioned from galvanized steel, clay, and copper—a design that shapes texture and retains minerality—then the común rested for two months before Atelo ran the second distillation and blended heads, hearts, and tails to his specification. The flavor profile reflects both the agave's sugar density and the long fermentation cycle: expect green herbs, wet stone, and a faint floral sweetness that distinguishes Tequilana Weber even when it's roasted underground. The body is textured rather than clean, with a peppery finish and a hint of smoke that never dominates. Serve this neat in a wide glass to let the aromatics open, or pair it with grilled white fish, ceviche, or mole verde where the herbal notes can mirror the dish. This is a mezcal for tequila drinkers curious about terroir and for mezcal enthusiasts interested in cross-pollination between Puebla and Jalisco agave traditions. This bottle is available for pickup at Off Premise Chicago, 1128 W Armitage Ave in Lincoln Park, with local Chicago delivery and nationwide shipping.