One of the most important missions at Dos Cuerpos is to understand the background of all our products— who crafts them, why and how— as well as the historical, social, and artistic aspects that our products have held. That's why we want to share some characteristics and curious facts about the famous and sought-after Espadín mezcal.
Spadín is the most common and affordable mezcal in the world of mezcal. It accounts for 80% of mezcal production across Mexico. This is due to three main factors:
Its short maturation period. It's important to note that there are agaves with maturation periods of over 40 years for mezcal production. In contrast, Espadín matures in a period of 5 to 8 years.
Another reason it's highly sought after by master mezcaleros is that this agave yields a lot due to its high sugar concentration.
Lastly, this agave makes life easier for producers because it can be reproduced through cultivating its "hijuelos" (offshoots). This makes it a domesticated mezcal. Planting domesticated Espadín agaves begins during the rainy season in May and June.
That's why it's better to use Espadín in cocktails, for example, rather than an agave that takes 40 years to mature.
Espadín is found from Central America in Panama to northern Mexico. In our country, the highest concentration is in Jalisco, Guerrero, and Oaxaca, but it's particularly abundant in the latter state. In Oaxaca, Espadín agaves can be found in the following municipalities: Yautepec, Tlacolula, Miahuatlán, Ejutla, Ocotlán, Villa Alta, Sola de Vega, Zimatlán, Zaachila, Tehuantepec, and Nochixtlán. This is because it easily adapts to various soil types, regardless of altitude and climate.
Its scientific name, A. Angustifolia, wasn't very creatively chosen. It comes from the Latin "angusti," meaning narrow, because its leaves are narrow. Personally, I call it Espadín because I prefer the idea of referring to it as a majestic, bluish sword with red spines. I imagine a ceremonial warrior uniform with an Espadín sword raised to the sky, and it gives me goosebumps. I feel it's more respectful to call it a sword rather than "narrow," but that's just a personal opinion.
At Dos Cuerpos, we're not quite sure how we feel about a plant endemic to Mexico being named by a 19th-century English biologist. What is clear is that we don't believe it's the most relevant aspect of the plant's history or cultural significance. So, we won't include its name in this article; just in case you're curious, that biologist is the reason the scientific name ends with "Haw." Instead of that, we'll share some truly interesting facts:
Given the importance of mining in Oaxaca and adjacent states, it was common to send barrels of Espadín mezcal to sustain the miners. If the miners found it to be good mezcal, they would proudly declare it as "mezcal Minero" (Miner mezcal).
This mezcal-producing agave is genetically the closest to the Tequiliana Weber agave. Some experts even say that Espadín is one of its ancestors.
One of the species of this agave has been used to produce bacanora in Sonora.
Some say that Espadín is the simplest mezcal and the one to start with if you're not accustomed to it. We don't believe this is a golden rule, but we recommend an Espadín with an alcohol content of 41% to start this tradition. We won't provide tasting notes, as each mezcal has its own unique process, recipe, climate, and soil; it would be disrespectful to you and to our profession to generalize in that way.
As the wise Rubén Blades says, "Don't be misled, seek the essence and its reason."
At Dos Cuerpos, we specialize in tastings and the distribution of agave-based spirits and Mexican wine. Tasting is the contemplation of the alcohol being sampled, and in that sense, these texts aim to encourage continuous reflection. Let us know if you enjoyed this text, if it provided any help, and if you have any comments or discrepancies to share.
Further Reading:
Comments