AgaveMezcal

Mezcal Artesanal

The 2017 NOM-070 reform created the three-tier system. Artesanal was designed to recognize the vast majority of craft production that uses some traditional elements (pit ovens, wild yeast, tahona) but not the absolute pre-industrial purity of Ancestral. Del Maguey's single-village program, started in 1995, predates the formal tier system and effectively defined what 'Artesanal' quality would mean commercially.

Flavor Profile

Copper alembic brightens the spirit vs. clay — removes sulfur, creates cleaner aromatics, more pronounced fruit esters, lighter mouthfeel. The pit-roasting smoke is fully present. Wild yeast contributes ester complexity. The result: aromatic, clean, complex mezcal where smoke integrates rather than dominates. The classic commercial mezcal profile. 'Oil painting vs. watercolor' compared to Ancestral.

Key Producers

Well

Del Maguey Vida

$25-32

Call

Vago Espadín

$40-60

Premium

Del Maguey Chichicapa

$55-70

Premium

Neta Madrecuixe

$70-110

NOM-070 (2017 reform). The middle tier — traditional with mechanical flexibility. Cooking: underground pit ovens OR above-ground masonry ovens (permitted). Crushing: tahona, mechanical shredder, or hand mallets (all permitted). Fermentation: wood, concrete, or earth vessels; natural fermentation only (no commercial yeast); fiber may or may not be present. Distillation: copper alembic OR clay pots; single-batch only (no continuous distillation).