Mezcales,

The mezcal tasting and Oaxacan botana party was over but the wide variety of flavors and bouquets surprisingly still linger in my mouth and in my head and that of the guests according to the correspondence I’ve received since the party.  Prior to this event I had had one great mezcal, or several , from Del Maguey Single Village line and many bad ones.  But the variety presented was surprising in their differences, their distinct character that each producer or salesperson tries to convey and that only be experienced by smelling the aroma, sipping each one, swirling it around your mouth and finally swallowing and the feeling the  flavor bursting on your palate.

I’ve since learned that, unlike tequila which is only made from blue agave, mezcal is made from several varieties of magueyes which accounts for the great variety of flavors. The way they are processed and distilled add another dimension.

Go to this link for an excellent history of the differences between tequila and mezcal.