This exceptional ancestral mezcal comes from Santa Catarina Minas in Oaxaca and was crafted by Maestro Rolando Angeles, whose family has preserved traditional mezcal methods for generations. Made from wild agave Cuishe, known locally for its tall, slender growth and intense mineral driven character, this bottling captures the raw expression of one of Oaxaca’s most revered agave varieties. The agaves were harvested at full maturity after approximately eight to ten years, yielding just under four metric tons for this batch. The piñas were roasted for five days in a traditional conical earthen oven using native hardwoods, then crushed entirely by hand with machete and wooden mallets, an ancestral technique that preserves texture and depth. Fermentation took place naturally in open air oak vats with pure well water and indigenous yeasts over nine days. Distillation was carried out on March 8, 2022, in a 100 liter clay pot still, producing a spirit of remarkable clarity and mineral tension. The mezcal was then rested in glass for more than three years before bottling, allowing the flavors to integrate and soften. Only 156 bottles were produced. The nose offers fresh citrus and green vegetal notes, while the palate shows ripe fruit, subtle smoke and a persistent stony finish. A rare and contemplative mezcal best enjoyed neat.