Cinco Sentidos La colección Mixteca Edition 4--Blanco

Cinco Sentidos La colección Mixteca Edition 4—Blanco is a single-batch mezcal distilled by Delfino Tobón Mejía in San Pablo Ameyaltepec, Puebla, from agave the producer calls Blanco—massive, low-yielding plants that grew for nearly fifteen years on the outskirts of Tehuacán. This was Delfino's first attempt at fermenting and distilling this species on its own, and the result is a rare snapshot of a mezcalero working with unfamiliar material at scale. Chicago drinkers looking for agave spirits beyond the Oaxacan core will find this Puebla expression a window into the broader mezcal landscape, where village-level production and experimental botany still define the category. Delfino harvested the agaves with friends and family in early 2024, quartering the piñas to fit his brick-lined underground oven, where he roasted them over mesquite and tlahuicole wood for three days. He milled the cooked agaves with a mechanical shredder and allowed them to dry ferment for two days before adding spring water, then fermented the mash for an additional six days. Distillation was a single pass through his hybrid, three-plate copper still—a setup that blends pot-still character with partial rectification. Delfino proofed the final spirit by blending heads, hearts, and holanda (tails), a traditional method that gives the mezcalero full control over the flavor profile. The batch was distilled in May 2024 and bottled a month later; total production was 225 liters. Expect a spirit that carries the weight of fifteen-year-old agave—deep minerality, a faint char from the mesquite, and a savory, almost umami-like finish that comes from the long fermentation and single-pass distillation. The hybrid still preserves the funk while smoothing the sharper edges, so this drinks cleaner than many rustic mezcals but still has presence. Sip it neat to appreciate the agave's heft, or pair it with roasted pork, mole verde, or aged manchego—the minerality stands up to fat and spice without fading. This is a bottle for the mezcal drinker who wants to taste a specific harvest, a specific place, and a specific maker's first run at a new-to-him agave. Available for pickup at our Lincoln Park bottle shop at 1128 W Armitage Ave, local Chicago delivery, or nationwide shipping.