From The Official Website
On the steep precarious hillsides of Oaxaca, Guerrero, and Durango varieties of agave, indigenous to the region, grow wild and are heavily sought after by the local mezcaleros.
These varietals produce flavors that are exotically intense, with rich earth tones and savory smokiness. From the heart of the maguey these flavors are traditionally extracted to produce mezcal that is wildly refine d. Because we at bozal believe that something wild produces a far richer spirit.
AGAVE
espadín
The Espadín agave, known as the genetic Mother of the Blue Weber Agave, is used to produce tequila, and is also the predominant agave used in mezcal production. Unique in itself, the characteristics of this agave showcase the aromas of wet earth, a rich smokiness on the mid-palate, and a finish reminiscent of wild flowers. This variety of agave is a subspecies of the Angustifolia family of agave, and takes seven to nine years to mature.
mexicano
The Mexicano agave thrives in the moist environment of lower elevations. This wild agave can grow quite large and is usually harvested when close to ten years of age. The concentration of sugar in the fully mature agave produces an extremely powerful mezcal. The palate is distinctively herbaceous and earthy with a long lasting finish in the mouth. Mexicano is subspecies of the Rhodacantha Family of agave.
barril
This thick-foliaged, wild agave, takes nine to twelve years to mature. Often used as fencing to divide land in Oaxaca, it intensifies the complexity of this mezcal. As citrus and floral notes arise, hints of green peppers compliment the nose. The palate is a delightful balance of citrus and creamy banana. Barril is a subspecies of the Karwinskii Family of agave.
PRODUCTION
We use an artisanal approach toward production in order to create an unadulterated style of mezcal. In keeping with the 200-year-old tradition, the agave hearts are cooked in earthen pit ovens, later to be crushed and mashed by a stone tahona wheel turned by a horse. Without the addition of artificial yeast, open-air fermentation allows the sugars to ferment utilizing naturally occurring yeast. The mezcal is then purified through a double distillation process.
TASTE
Balanced aromas of fruit and spice greet the nose with notes of pear, green apple, allspice and vanilla. Barril is prominent in the mouth with lime zest, along with flavors of stone fruit and green pepper. The warm viscous finish of the Mexicano features a touch of minerality. This is a light and easy sipping mezcal, which will delight and surprise you with its complex lingering finish.
INSPIRATION
The Spanish term, bozal translates to “wild” or “untamed.” We chose this name for our Mezcal in reference to the wild species of Mexican agave grown in hard to reach, uncultivated lands of Oaxaca, Guerrero, and Durango. As well as for the untamed traditions used by our family operated distilleries, or mezcaleros, to distill small batches in those same locations.
PACKAGING
Alluding to the traditional terra cotta copitas sometimes used for drinking mezcal, we created a series of rustic ceramic bottles in earth tones. The label is printed on a naturally flecked paper with an embossed logo, production specifications, perforated holes, and the batch number stamp. These elements are designed to signal the tactile nature of the product and appeal to the specialized craft spirits drinker. The light ochre hue of the ceramic bottle is meant to echo the light blend of the Espadín-Mexicano-Barril mezcal.
