Good Day, Class! Open your Mexican Culture textbooks to the MEZCAL chapter. Today we begin our GRADUATE COURSE on mezcal production, culture, and lore. Presenting today’s Guest Speaker; Ron Cooper of Del Maguey Single Village Mezcals!
Th’ Lip has to keep his school-girl giddy enthusiasm in check as he meets and interviews one of his personal heroes; Ron Cooper. In this epic Tequila Whisperer episode you will travel down to the mezcal capital of the world: Oaxaca, Mexico. We will venture into numerous “palenques” to learn the secrets and romance of “single village” mezcal production.
Ron Cooper (almost) single-handedly brought gourmet mezcal into the U.S. consciousness some 15 years ago. As a classically trained fine artist, Ron recognized the depth, commitment, and honesty with which these Oaxacan “Palenqueros” were plying their trade. He set out to bring this magical “Mother Spirit of Tequila” into the U.S. and he has staked a claim as the Master of Mezcal.
In this omnibus episode, Lippy & Gabe X (his mighty mezcal sidekick) pepper Ron with questions and grill him for information about the secrets of “Single Village” mezcal production. They taste EVERY Del Maguey mezcal currently available – and a few that have an EXTREMELY limited distribution!
Wait – there’s MORE: They even coax Ron into breaking out the “apothecary bottles” of some ‘preview’ mezcals that will be available in the coming months. Do yourself a favor and have a notebook handy as your learn about the different types of mezcal, agaves, and distillation methods required to create a truly magical Oaxacan mezcal. ”Stee-Gee-Bay-O”!
DEL MAGUEY SINGLE VILLAGE MEZCALS TASTED:
– CHICHICAPA
– SAN LUIS DEL RIO
– SANTO DOMINGO ALBARRADAS
– MINERO
– TOBALA
– PECHUGA
– CHICHICAPA Crema
– VIDA
– ESPADIN ESPECIAL (created by Del Maguey’s specialty Tobala-making Master Palenquero)*
– CABERNET CASK EDITION (14-yr Chichicapa aged 100 days in Stag’s Leap Cabernet barrel) *
– VIDA “reposado” ( 150-days aged in French Oak)*
(* extremely limited editions – contact Del Maguey for more information about availability)
Purchase all Del Maguey Mezcals online at: http://mezcal.com
Hey Lip, wasn’t able to see the live show Thursday but did taste a Del Maguey single-village blanco at Saturday’s Destilados Artesanales de Origen tasting festival in Mexico City. It was as good if not better than most of the silver tequilas I’ve ever tasted. A bit of smoke, yes, but the complex agave notes really sang to me. Enjoy your birthday. ¡Feliz cumpleaños!
Lippy – GREAT website! After watching this review, I went out and bought the San Luis del Rio. ($114). I’m no connoisseur – not even close – but when my buddy at work wanted to know what I thought about it, I told him that, “I’m only glad I lived long enough to experience this stuff.”
As the sign on the wall of the bar in my wife’s Telenovela says… “Para todo mal toma mezcal, para todo bien, tambien.” (Also on the bottle!!)
Todo lo mejor!
Thank you for the nice, Comments! Glad you’re enjoying the shows!
Chichicapa Rules!!! And now it has provided a gateway to Islay scotches!
I’m SO GLAD I could help you find nice “Gateway” to another Spirit!
If you are going to advertise 100%organic, then you should remove the picture on facebook that shows the product coming out of the still through a black PVC tube and into a plastic jug that looks 25 years old.
Way to watch closely, Larry! Have you tasted the Del Maguey line?
@ larry: I don’t think that word means what you think it means.