Del Maguey Vida de Muertos Mezcal
A distinctive 45% ABV edition of Espadín crafted by maestro palenquero Paciano Cruz Nolasco in San Luis del Río. This special release captures the essence of the mezcal shared within his community during Día de Muertos, a deeply spiritual holiday in Oaxaca that transcends commercial interpretations. Naturally fermented and twice distilled in wood-fired copper stills.
Flavor Profile
Tasting
Roasted agave, dried fruit, cocoa, smoke, baking spice
Warm and rich with roasted agave, dried fruit and cocoa.
Round and smoky with baking spice and ripe fruit.
Long and warming with lingering smoke.
Origin
Red Ant River Valley, Central Valleys
San Luis Del Rio
5400 ft
Rocky Clay
Espadín (Agave angustifolia Haw.)
7 to 9 years
The Process
Paciano Cruz Nolasco, Marcos Cruz Méndez, Marilu Cruz Mendez, Ema Cruz Mendez
Hand-cut in San Luis Del Rio after 7 to 9 years
Earthen pits lined with volcanic rock
Electric milling · open wooden vats · wild fermentation
What defines this mezcal
BUILT FOR THE BAR, BORN FROM THE HILL
Mezcal Vida from San Luis del Río is built with bartenders and mixing in mind, yet unmistakably rooted in place. Bursting with fruity aromatics: honey, vanilla and roasted agave, it opens wide in the glass. On the palate: ginger, cinnamon, burnt sandalwood; a touch of banana-leaf sweetness lingers at the finish.
A Tapestry of Agaves
San Luis del Río lies within the municipality of Tlacolula de Matamoros, in Oaxaca’s Central Valleys. Its steep mountains are planted so densely with espadín that the slopes look like a living tapestry of agaves. The mineral-rich rock is almost fluorescent red and green, which gives the soil its strength and mezcal its earthy flavour. At the valley floor, the Río Hormiga Colorada still flows, though now reduced to a narrow stream. The air there grows humid and sweet; papaya and mango trees line the houses, their fruit perfuming the streets.
THE STORYTELLERS OF SAN LUIS
The Cruz family are fantastic storytellers. Around the table, mezcal is poured from garrafones into endless caballitos as they tell poignant stories of crossing the border on foot and returning home to keep doing the work they learned as children, coming back from school to the palenque. Each story carries the same spirit as Mezcal Vida itself: determined, charismatic, and unforgettable.
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