Mezcal, Tepeztate, 'Don Goyo - 9th Floor Skurnik Selection'

• Mezcal produced at Palenque 3 Mezquites in San Baltazar Guelavila, Oaxaca
• Selected by the Skurnik Spirits Portfolio and bottled exclusively for Skurnik Wines & Spirits
• Maestro Mezcalero Gregorio Martínez García
• Distilled from 100% Tepeztate (Agave marmorata)
• Cooked in a stone-lined conical earthen pit oven
• Crushed using a horse-drawn stone mill (tahona)
• Open-air fermented in pine wooden tanks (tinas)
• Distilled twice using traditional copper pot stills
• Crisp aromatics full of lime zest, marigold, candied orange, Sichuan peppercorn, apple cider, mango, dried hatch chili, sea breezes and iodine; a cleansing palate with maritime influences, full of lavender, raspberry, lemon zest, a hint of citronella, coconut, and bright saline. Wildly unique!
• Distilled in 2017; only 180 bottles produced
• 48.3% ABV

Last year, one of the first and most beloved mezcaleros to work with Casa Cortés on the Nuestra Soledad and El Jolgorio projects, Gregorio “Don Goyo” Martínez García, passed away with little warning. A charismatic character, a welcoming host, and a true pleasure to be around, he left a massive hole in many hearts. Today, the Cortés family has a small amount of Don Goyo’s mezcales still in store waiting to be bottled, and last fall they alerted Skurnik that there was one final batch of his tepeztate still available. We jumped at the chance to take it, honored by the opportunity. This is not a “classic” tepeztate by any means; it’s challenging and does not fit into the profile one would typically expect from the species. It’s a curveball, for sure, and a parting gift from Don Goyo to share and remember. He likely would have enjoyed confounding everyone’s expectations, one last time.

Tasting Notes

“Sometimes, when a maestro mezcalero passes away, there is a mezcal for the occasion; sometimes the mezcalero prepared it themselves, in anticipation of their own passing. Sometimes, we are not so lucky—but there is always something lingering, be it physical or emotional, which we can share.

“Last year, one of the first and most beloved mezcaleros to work with Casa Cortes on the Nuestra Soledad and El Jolgorio projects, Gregorio “Don Goyo” Martínez García, passed away with little warning. A charismatic character, a welcoming host, and a true pleasure to be around, he left a massive hole in many hearts.

“Today, the Cortés family has a small amount of Don Goyo’s mezcales still in store, waiting to be bottled—the last of Don Goyo’s espadín for the Nuestra Soledad line that he was so integral to. But last fall, they alerted Skurnik that there was one final batch of his tepeztate still available. We jumped at the chance to take it, honored by the opportunity.

“The first time I ever saw a tepeztate up close, the first time I touched one, was with Don Goyo. He knew I loved the variety, and once even gifted me a small hijuelo which I nervously snuck back home to the US, strategically tucked inside a dirty sock in my luggage. It’s still growing today in New York City, a physical reminder of Don Goyo and his generosity. The first “campo party” I ever went to was at his palenque. I remember him joyfully inciting us all to dance, dance, dance, until some folks could no longer keep standing. I remember him offering the skull of the goat after the barbacoa, to gnaw on until the job was done, while he poured tastes from a clay jug of mezcal he’d made years earlier. R.I.P.

“This is not a “classic” tepeztate by any means; it’s challenging and does not fit into the profile one would typically expect from the species. All the bold bubblegum, fresh pepper, and floral aromatics have mellowed over the years since it was distilled. The mezcal now seems quieter, yet fruitier, with a racy spine that seems to imply both lime peel and a pronounced maritime vibe. The pyrazine/pepper note often associated with tepeztate and salmiana has slipped away over eight long years of resting, replaced by a subtle orange zest aroma that grows louder with oxygen, and there’s a whiff of sea breeze and salt water that seems as if both the mezcal and its drinkers yearn for a raw bar pairing.

“A curveball, for sure, and a parting gift from Don Goyo to share while remembering. He likely would have enjoyed confounding everyone’s expectations, one last time.” —Justin Lane Briggs, Portfolio Manager, Mexico