Scorpion Mezcal Anejo 1 Year
Scorpion Mezcal Anejo 1 Year is the house's classic aged mezcal — 40% ABV (80 proof), 750mL, distilled from 100% Espadin agave in Oaxaca, Mexico and rested one full year in French oak barrels of less than 200 litres as a single-barrel bottling, with a real scorpion (venom removed) sealed in every bottle. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 40% (80 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Agave: 100% Espadin
- Ageing: Anejo — 1 year in French oak, single-barrel bottlings
- Origin: San Agustin de las Juntas, Oaxaca, Mexico — NOM 019X
- Signature: Real scorpion sealed in the bottle
One Barrel, One Year, One Scorpion
Before the long-aged luxury bottlings, this was the Scorpion that started it: Espadin mezcal from Douglas French's Oaxacan distillery, given exactly the anejo treatment — a year in a single oak barrel, long enough for vanilla and caramel to wrap the smoke without burying the agave. And yes, the scorpion is real: the brand harvests them on the distillery grounds, removes venom and stinger, and seals the exoskeleton into each bottle, where the high-proof spirit preserves it indefinitely. Pour it from our mezcal shelves alongside its longer-rested sibling in the anejo selection, browse the tequila and mezcal range, or visit the Scorpion Mezcal vendor page.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Very smoky and understated — a freshly opened tobacco tin over the agave. Palate: Dry and sweet at once — lime, leather, oil and smoke with a suggestion of mint, in a resinous mouthfeel. Finish: A delicate burn for 80 proof, smoky with a spicy aftertaste.
How to Enjoy
Neat or over one large cube. The year of oak makes it the natural mezcal for an Old Fashioned or a Manhattan riff where a joven would shout.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the scorpion in this bottle real? Yes — the brand confirms a real scorpion, with venom and stinger removed, is sealed into the Silver and Anejo 1 Year bottles; what remains is the preserved exoskeleton, and it is not meant to be eaten.
What is the difference between the 1 Year and 5 Year Anejo? Time in oak: one year in a single barrel for this bottling, versus five years in French oak for the 5 Year, which is darker, richer and presented in a French glass decanter.
Is anejo mezcal like anejo tequila? The ageing classes mirror each other (anejo means at least a year in oak), but the base spirit differs — this is 100% Espadin mezcal from Oaxaca, with mezcal's roast and smoke under the wood.
The original scorpion bottle, oak-softened — buy Scorpion Mezcal Anejo 1 Year online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.