Cinco Sentidos La colección Mixteca Edition 4--Azul y Papalome

Delfino Tobón Mejía's ensamble of cultivated Azul and wild Papalome is a snapshot of how mezcal is actually made in the Mixteca Baja—a region of Puebla where agave distillation long predates the modern mezcal designation and where producers have been blending species for generations to balance cost, availability, and flavor. This is Edition 4 in Cinco Sentidos' Mixteca series, distilled in February 2023 and bottled in June 2024 at just 213 liters. Azul, better known as the workhorse agave of tequila, brings a refined, slightly vegetal sweetness here, while wild Papalome contributes a floral-mineral intensity that gives the blend its spine. Tobón roasted both species together in a brick-lined underground oven fueled by mesquite and tlahuicole wood for three days, then milled the cooked piñas with a mechanical shredder. Fermentation started dry for about two days before he added spring water, stretching the total fermentation to ten days. The mash was distilled once—not twice—in a hybrid three-plate copper alembic still, which gives Tobón more control over congeners and proof than a traditional pot still. He proofed the final spirit using a blend of heads, hearts, and holanda, a low-proof second distillation typical in some Puebla villages, rather than cutting with water. The result is a mezcal with more texture and weight than most double-distilled expressions. The nose opens with green banana and a vegetal sweetness from the Azul, layered over the herbaceous, almost minty punch of Papalome. On the palate you'll find citrus peel, white pepper, and a whisper of smoke that never dominates the agave. The mouthfeel is oily and coating, with a long, mineral finish. This works beautifully with ceviche, grilled fish with salsa verde, or Oaxacan string cheese and memelas. It also holds up in a mezcal old-fashioned where you want the agave to remain front and center. Cinco Sentidos, founded by Jason Cox at El Destilado restaurant in Oaxaca City, names every mezcalero, village, agave species, and still type on the label. Cox pays above-market rates and runs a ten percent profit-share back to producers. Off Premise Chicago in Lincoln Park carries the full range of single-village, single-producer releases that built the brand's reputation.