Mezcal Amaras Cupreata Joven
Mezcal Amaras Cupreata Joven is an unaged 43% ABV (86 proof), 750mL mezcal made from 100% Cupreata agave — called Papalote — wild-grown on the slopes of Guerrero's Rio Balsas basin at 4,000–6,000 feet, where the agave takes some thirteen years to mature. Maestro Mezcalero Don Faustino Robledo cooks it in a conical earth oven over red oak, ferments it in ayacahuite pine wood and double-distils it in copper. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 43% (86 proof) — US bottling
- Size: 750mL
- Agave: 100% Cupreata (Papalote), matured ~13 years
- Origin: Mazatlan, Guerrero, Mexico — Rio Balsas basin, Sierra Madre del Sur slopes, 4,000–6,000 ft
- Maestro Mezcalero: Don Faustino Robledo
- Production: Conical earth oven, red oak; mechanical shredder; fermentation in ayacahuite (white pine) wood; double distilled in copper
Guerrero's Wild Papalote, Bottled Joven
Most mezcal drinkers meet Oaxaca first; Cupreata is the argument for Guerrero. The Papalote agave grows wild and slow in the Balsas basin — thirteen years on high Sierra Madre del Sur slopes before the jima — and it gives a greener, wilder spirit than cultivated Espadin: roasted seeds, herbs and pepper instead of fruit and blossom. Under Maestro Faustino Robledo, Amaras works it traditionally in Mazatlan, Guerrero — earth oven, pine fermentation, copper distillation — and bottles it joven so nothing stands between the agave and the glass. Set it beside the house's Oaxacan Espadin in our mezcal and tequila collections, or see both on the Mezcal Amaras vendor page.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Roasted pumpkin seeds, leather and cocoa (brand notes). Palate: Intense, bright and herbal — green pepper and bell pepper with warm spice. Finish: Fresh, with peppery spice lingering on the mid-palate.
How to Enjoy
Neat in a copita, sipped slowly — Cupreata's herbal intensity rewards patience. It also gives a Mezcal Mule or a stirred mezcal Manhattan a distinctly wild, peppery spine.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Cupreata agave? Agave cupreata, called Papalote in Guerrero, is a wild agave of the Rio Balsas basin that takes around thirteen years to mature — much slower than cultivated Espadin — and produces a green, herbal, peppery mezcal.
How is Amaras Cupreata different from Amaras Espadin? Different agave, different state, different hand: Cupreata is wild Papalote from Guerrero at 43% ABV by Maestro Faustino Robledo, herbal and peppery; the Espadin is from Oaxaca at 41% ABV, floral and fruity.
Why is this bottling 43% ABV when some listings say 41%? The 43% figure is the US 750mL bottling sold here; the 41% figure belongs to the European 700mL bottling.
Wild agave, high slopes, real pepper — order Mezcal Amaras Cupreata Joven online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.