The Esquire Guide to Mezcal

Clase Azul topped our tequila taste test, so there were high expectations for its Durango mezcal – and it delivered. Wild Cenizo agave forms the base, taking up to 15 years to mature, and imparting a moreish, creamy quality unlike any other we tried.

Flavour-wise, there’s an impressive savoury-sweet balance, with notes of citrus, tropical fruit, campfire smoke and cloves at the fore. We’d savour straight up or serve alongside white fish ceviche topped with mango salsa.

And we’d be remiss not to mention the bottle, of course; deserving of prime position on your bar cart, this beauty is carved by Mazahuas artisans and finished with a colourful cap fashioned from beeswax, resin and beads. No mezcal collector should be without.

70cl, 40%

George Clooney and Rande Gerber may have sold Casamigos to Diageo (for a cool $700 million), but this mezcal shows their commitment to producing agave-based spirits of the highest pedigree.

Crafted in collaboration with a five-generation mezcal family in Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca, it’s an excellent entry-level drop for die hard tequila drinkers, thanks to the light smoke and aromatic agave notes. Building tropical fruit flavour makes this our go-to for mezcal margaritas.

70cl, 40%

Clean and herbaceous in equal measure, our experts loved the fresh, eucalyptus-led nose and brightness brought by the combination of crisp citrus and young agave.

There’s light tobacco and leather working in the background, while the smooth mouthfeel makes this our top choice for sipping.

70cl, 42%

Hailing from Santiago Matatlán in Oaxaca – AKA the “World Capital of Mezcal” – Quiquiriquí is an excellent introduction to the spirit. The rich, roasted aroma is accented with a kiss of smoke, but there’s bags of fresh grassiness at play, too. A bold, peppery finish makes this a no-brainer for longer, citrus-leaning drinks, like a Paloma or Michelada.

70cl, 45%

Bright green grass, sweet agave and citrus abound here, creating a well-balanced spirit that doesn’t veer into overly smoky territory as some mezcals have the tendency to.

For this reason, we reckon Dangerous Don is versatile enough for all matter of classic cocktails (our recommended serve? A mezcal old fashioned, of course). Make no mistake, this bottle will work hard on your bar cart.

70cl, 45%

Vago is reinventing the wheel when it comes to mezcal production by infusing roasted corn between the second and third distillation. The result is a complex sweetness (think: toasted popcorn and butter caramel), which pairs perfectly with the smokier backnote. Try it in an Oaxaca Old Fashioned and you’ll never look back.

49.8%, 70cl

We get it, you want to know how it tastes, but this mezcal's unique production method goes a long way to explaining just how special it is.

It’s made using a combination of espadin and tobalá magueys, which are then roasted in an earthen oven, before the juice is extracted using a traditional donkey-pulled tahona. After copper-still distillation, it’s then rested in French oak barrels.

Every step is crucial to creating a blend that offers light smoke, woody vanilla and a richly rounded, almost syrup-like, mouthfeel. Try it.

70cl, 42%

Celebrity liquor gets a bad name, but this fragrant, artesian blend from Breaking Bad stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul is truly excellent.

Dos Hombres uses agave grown in a remote section of Oaxaca, an area blessed with rich soil and plenty of rainfall to create a mezcal that offers ripe mango at the fore, with clean minerality and a whisper of campfire smoke.

70cl, 42%

Corte Vetusto's multi-award-winning mezcals are crafted using traditional methods – earth pit ovens, natural yeasts, stone-milling – by fourth-generation distiller Juan Carlos Gonzalez Diaz.

The results are astonishing, especially the Tobalá, which is roasted with mesquite wood to produce a wonderfully smoky nose. Though it's very much a sipping mezcal, you won't regret using it in the best Paloma you've ever tasted. Trust us on that.

70cl, 43.8%

A smooth mezcal that still has distinctive oak flavour and earthy notes, this joven mezcal ('joven', meaning 'young', refers to un-aged mezcal) is a blend of two agaves, one from Espadín, harvested between eight and 12 years, and the other from Madrecuishe, harvested between 11 and 15 years.

The two plants meld to make a distinctive and deeply earthy flavour profile. Believe the hype, this mezcal deserves its popularity within industry circles.

50cl, 48%

Distilled in copper still pots, Ojo De Dios offers fragrant floral notes and dried apricot sweetness, coupled with mellow smoke and rich layers of spice (think: cinnamon, black pepper and clove).

Muddle with lime juice, agave, fresh chilli and coriander leaves and strain over ice for a smokier take on the famous Soho House picante.

70cl, 42%

This honey-coloured reposado mezcal from the Ilegal company is twice distilled in copper in the Tlacolula area of Oaxaca, Mexico. The aged brew has won countless awards for its complex flavour which has notes of butterscotch, wood smoke and orange rind.

It's brilliant neat, but also makes a very moreish Oaxacan old fashioned (stir with agave nectar and bitters, then serve over ice with an orange twist).

70cl, 40%