Doña Perla [Was $110.00]

Doña Perla is an artisanal mezcal made from wild Tobasiche agave (Agave karwinskii) harvested at 10 to 13 years of maturity in La Labor, La Compañía, Ejutla, a mezcal-producing district south of Oaxaca known for its karwinskii agaves and traditional pit-oven production. Master mezcalero Virgilio Casas roasts the piñas in a stone pit oven fired with wood, crushes them with a Chilean or Egyptian mill, and distills the fermented mash in a copper still to 47.5% ABV. Tobasiche is prized among agave spirits for its long, cylindrical piñas and the herbal, citrus-forward profile they yield — this bottling is a textbook expression of that subspecies. Virgilio Casas works in the ejido of La Compañía, part of the Ejutla district where elevation, rainfall, and volcanic soils encourage slow maturation in wild karwinskii varietals. He follows the artisanal designation to the letter: pit-roasting develops smoke and caramel complexity, the tahona-style Chilean mill extracts fibrous, viscous musts, and copper distillation adds a layer of brightness and structure that clay or wood stills would soften. The result is a mezcal with density and pronounced herbal character — not the rounded, fruity profile of espadín from the central valleys, but something more angular and vegetal. On the palate, Doña Perla leads with rich acidity and perceptible astringency, followed by herbal and citrus notes and a mentholated finish that lingers. The texture is dense, almost oily, and the 47.5% proof carries intensity without harshness. This is a mezcal for slow sipping — the kind of bottle that rewards attention and pairs well with ceviche, grilled fish, or citrus-forward desserts. The bitterness and herbal backbone also make it a compelling base for a mezcal Negroni or a highball with grapefruit and salt. Doña Perla is available at Off Premise in Lincoln Park for pickup at 1128 W Armitage Ave, local Chicago delivery, or nationwide shipping.