PM Spirits Destilado de Agave Espadin
PM Spirits Destilado de Agave Espadin is a 61.1% ABV (122.2 proof), 700mL single-batch agave distillate from Zimatlan de Alvarez, Oaxaca — 100% Espadin agave, double distilled in a copper pot still and bottled at still strength with no water added. It was made exactly like traditional mezcal but never submitted for certification, so it is sold as a destilado de agave. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 61.1% (122.2 proof) — bottled at still strength, no water added
- Size: 700mL
- Style: Destilado de agave — an uncertified agave distillate
- Agave: 100% Espadin (Agave angustifolia)
- Batch: A single one-off batch — 563 litres total
- Production: Conical earthen pit oven; natural fermentation with well water in pine vats; double distilled in a copper pot still
- Producer: Maestro mezcalero Rene Parada Barriga
- Origin: Zimatlan de Alvarez, Oaxaca, Mexico
A Full-Strength Batch That Skipped the Paperwork
This bottling exists because of a tip: Jason Paul Cox of Cinco Sentidos (5 Sentidos) and Alambique Serrano told PM Spirits founder Nicolas Palazzi, in effect, "hey, you should taste this." The batch came from maestro mezcalero Rene Parada Barriga in Zimatlan de Alvarez, Oaxaca — Espadin agave roasted in a conical earthen pit oven, fermented naturally with well water in pine vats, and double distilled in a copper alembic, then bottled exactly as it came off the still: no water, no adjustment, 61.1% ABV. It is, as one retailer put it, a mezcal in every other way — but the batch never went through certification with the Mexican government, so the label honestly reads destilado de agave. PM Spirits bottled it as a one-off Project selection: 563 litres, and when it is gone, it is gone. Browse the PM Spirits collection and more agave spirits at Del Mesa.
Tasting Notes
No official brand tasting notes are published for this batch. Retailers who know it describe tropical fruit punch aromas with mild smokiness and ripe agave funk (Prizefighter Bottle Shop), and Astor Wines' staff found an oily, satin texture — ripe, mature, complex agave with mild smokiness and an extremely long finish, and a surprising softness for all its 122 proof. At this strength it almost drinks like puntas, the prized high-proof fraction of the distillation.
How to Enjoy
Small pours, neat, in a copita or a jicara if you have one — this is still-strength spirit and it asks to be sipped slowly. A few drops of water will open the agave and fruit without taking the edge off what makes it special.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called "destilado de agave" instead of mezcal? Because the batch was never certified by Mexico's mezcal regulatory body. It was made exactly like traditional mezcal in Oaxaca, but without certification it must be labelled an agave distillate — destilado de agave.
How strong is PM Spirits Destilado de Agave Espadin? 61.1% ABV (about 122 proof). It was double distilled and bottled at still strength, with no water added to proof it down.
Who made it, and where? Maestro mezcalero Rene Parada Barriga, in Zimatlan de Alvarez, Oaxaca, from 100% Espadin agave roasted in a conical earthen oven.
How big was the batch? 563 litres total — a single, one-off batch sourced for PM Spirits by Jason Cox of Cinco Sentidos.
One batch, full strength, no shortcuts — order PM Spirits Destilado de Agave Espadin online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA, before the 563 litres are gone.