Sabelotodo Mezcal Ensemble
Sabelotodo Mezcal Ensemble is a small-batch ancestral agave spirit bottled at 47.2% ABV in a 750mL bottle, made in Santa Catarina Minas, Oaxaca, Mexico, by maestro mezcalero Felix Cruz. Sold by retailers as the Ensamble Minero Largo y Espadin, it blends two agaves — Largo (Agave karwinskii) and Espadin (Agave angustifolia) — which are named right on the bottle's label.
- ABV: 47.2%
- Size: 750mL
- Agave: Ensemble of Largo (Agave karwinskii) and Espadin (Agave angustifolia)
- Origin: Santa Catarina Minas, Oaxaca, Mexico
- Producer: Felix Cruz, Palenque La Tentacion
The Story
Sabelotodo began in 2011 as a project devoted to the micro-regions of Mexico where agave spirits have been made for generations, and it comes from the same founder as Mezcal Legendario Domingo. An ensamble is the traditional way a mezcalero works with what the land gives him: agaves of more than one variety cooked, fermented, and distilled together rather than bottled separately. Here Felix Cruz — who learned mezcal making in Santa Catarina Minas from age 16 and now produces with his brothers at Palenque La Tentacion — combines the structure of wild-family karwinskii agave, in its Largo form, with the generosity of Espadin in a single Minero-style batch.
Tasting Notes
Retailers describe this ensamble as exceptionally smooth, with soft mineral flavors and a depth of character that builds sip by sip. The two agaves are distilled together, so the mineral core of Minas runs through the whole palate rather than arriving in layers.
How to Enjoy
Pour it neat in a copita and drink it slowly, the traditional way — small sips, with time between them. It is a natural bottle for a side-by-side tasting with Sabelotodo's single-agave Espadin and Largo bottlings, and it pairs well with grilled seafood, ceviche, and dishes with mole negro.
Frequently Asked Questions
What agaves are in the Sabelotodo Ensemble?
Two: Largo, a form of Agave karwinskii, and Espadin, Agave angustifolia. Retailers sell the bottle as the "Ensamble Minero Largo y Espadin," and both agave species are printed on the bottle's own label.
What does "ensamble" mean for mezcal?
An ensamble is a batch made from more than one agave variety harvested, cooked, fermented, and distilled together. It is a traditional field-blend approach, different from blending finished mezcals after distillation.
How is it made?
The agaves are cooked for 2 to 4 days in conical earthen pits with eucalyptus and guahulchile wood, dry-fermented for 10 to 14 days, then broken down by machete and crushed by hand with wooden mallets. After a second, two-part fermentation in open-air Sabino oak barrels, the mash is distilled twice in Filipino-style clay pots and proofed with heads and tails.
Why does the label say "Destilado de Agave" instead of mezcal?
These Minero-style spirits are sold as uncertified agave distillates, so the label reads "Destilado de Agave." The methods behind it are fully traditional ancestral production from Santa Catarina Minas.
Sabelotodo Mezcal Ensemble is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.