Mezcal Ancestral
Ancestral mezcal is how mezcal was made for centuries before the tahona arrived (possibly from pre-colonial cultures, possibly Filipino-influenced). The 2017 NOM-070 reform created the Ancestral designation to recognize and protect these pre-industrial methods as their own category — giving producers an incentive to maintain techniques that no economic logic could otherwise support.
Flavor Profile
Deepest complexity in the mezcal spectrum. Clay-pot distillation preserves sulfur compounds that copper strips, producing a colloidal, silky, oily mouthfeel — almost creamy — that copper-distilled mezcal cannot achieve. The retained sulfur at low concentrations adds richness rather than off-flavor. Wild yeast fermentation with fiber creates maximum ester complexity. The spirit tastes of fire, stone, clay, earth, and decades of accumulated microbial terroir.