This batch is the first time Lalo has brought these two very different plants together in a mezcla. Cuishe (A. rhodacantha), a species known as “mexicano” in many other parts of Oaxaca, is a large, cultivated varietal that grows best in well-fertilized soil, alongside corn. Tepeztate (A. marmorata) is as wild a they come, thriving on rocky slopes with soil that would be a non-starter for most other plants. The mezcal each varietal produces, is quite different as well. The sugar rich cuishe typically yield sweet, velvety, tropical, chocolatey notes, whereas a classic tepeztate profile is dry, herbaceous and mineral driven. In short, there’s nothing about the two plants that makes for an obvious pairing, but, in Lalo’s ongoing re-exploration of mezclas, he judges the success of experiments by what he/we learn about what happens when plants are roasted, mashed, fermented and distilled together. Beyond his commitment to empiricism, Lalo judges the quality of each batch (single varietal or mezcla) on how well it conveys the plants and place from which it comes - if a mezcal tastes good, but doesn’t exemplify the plants and terroir behind it, the mezcalero hasn’t done a good job. Of course, it’s to undervalue “tasty” when that’s the minimum of everything you do, but we should all be so lucky.

What elevates this particular mezcla from good to great is that both cuishe and tepeztate are not only present in the experience of drinking this, but their qualities are interacting. “Tepeztate is kind of cool, mentholated, even minty,” Lalo says. “ Cuishe is sweet, tropical. It gives a warming sensation.” The nose on this batch is all tepeztate. Not a surprise, as cuishe typically doesn’t offer much in the way of aromatics. On the front palate, the cuishe starts to come through much stronger, but then, as you get to the finish, you get an interesting combination of both varietals interacting to produce an experience that is at once dry, tropical, minty and warm.

Already six months old at the time of release (December, 2022), Lalo expects this batch to evolve quite a bit as it ages. “I definitely think that whoever has a bottle of this and keeps it for some time is going to have a very pleasant experience.”

Based on the results of this first 50/50 cuishe/tepeztate experiment, Lalo looks forward to repeating the experiment with different proportions to see how it changes. Because both varietals are somewhat rare in Minas, he warns that he won’t the experiments will have to be done over course of several years. In any case, expect to see some small batches of cuishe-tepeztate from him in the future.