Don Lorenzo Mezcal Espadin

Don Lorenzo Mezcal Espadin is a 750mL mezcal artesanal bottled at 45.5% ABV (91 proof) — the foundation of the Don Lorenzo range, made from cultivated espadin in Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca. Pit-roasted over red oak, crushed by a cantera tahona and double-distilled in copper at still strength, it is the truest read on the house style. Order it online at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.

• ABV: 45.5% (91 proof) — brand production sheet
• Size: 750mL
• Agave: Espadin — Agave angustifolia, cultivated
• Origin: Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca, Mexico
• Production (brand sheet): Stone-lined pit roast over red oak; cantera tahona; natural spring water; terroir-influenced natural fermentation; double distillation in copper alembic; bottled at still strength
• Maestros (brand sheet): Albaro Hernandez and Armando Hernandez
• Importer: RILO Import & Export Inc.

Where the Range Begins

Every mezcal house stands on its espadin — the one cultivated agave that can be harvested on a human timescale — and Don Lorenzo's is made in Santiago Matatlán, the self-styled world capital of mezcal, at the Mal de Amor and Dos Zapotecas palenques. Three generations of the Hernandez family's tradition run through the brand's production sheet: a stone-lined pit roast over red oak, a tahona hand-chiselled from cantera stone, natural fermentation driven by the palenque's own microbes and climate, and double distillation in small copper alembics, bottled at still strength with no water added back. The brand's stated aim is a cleaner, less smoke-led profile, so the espadin itself does the talking. Browse the range on the Don Lorenzo vendor page.

Tasting Notes

No brand tasting note is published for this expression. Espadin as a variety is mezcal's reference point — roasted agave sweetness, citrus and earth, with the pit roast adding its smoke underneath — and Don Lorenzo's still-strength method keeps it vivid and undiluted at 45.5%.

How to Enjoy

Sip it neat with a slice of orange and sal de gusano, or use it where a cocktail needs real mezcal character — it has the strength and the smoke discipline for a Mezcal Mule or a Oaxacan Old Fashioned. Then climb the range to the wild agaves, starting with Don Lorenzo Mezcal Tobala, and explore more in our tequila and mezcal collection.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is espadin?
Agave angustifolia — the most widely cultivated agave in mezcal, and the variety behind the great majority of all mezcal made. A well-made espadin like this one is the benchmark every wild-agave bottling is judged against.

Where is Don Lorenzo mezcal made?
In Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca, at the Mal de Amor and Dos Zapotecas palenques, by a family the brand describes as three generations into the craft.

What does "still strength" mean here?
The brand adds no water after distillation, so the espadin is bottled at the strength it leaves the still — 45.5% ABV on the production sheet for this expression.

The foundation pour of the Don Lorenzo range — order Mezcal Espadin online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.