Tepanal Ancestral Espadín Capón Mezcal

Tepanal Ancestral Espadín Capón Mezcal is a clay-pot ancestral mezcal from Tepanal, made by maestro Rafael García Aragón in Santa María Sola de Vega, Oaxaca, from 100% Agave angustifolia harvested at the capón stage and bottled at still proof, 48.6% ABV, in a 750mL bottle. Capón means the agave’s flowering stalk was cut before it could bloom and the plant left in the ground to keep ripening, so the sugars that would have fed the quiote stay concentrated in the piña. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.

• Proof / ABV: 97.2 proof (48.6% ABV), still proof
• Size: 750mL
• Agave: 100% Espadín (Agave angustifolia), capón stage
• Production: Earthen pit roast, wild-yeast open wood vat fermentation, double distilled in clay pots (olla de barro)
• Origin: Santa María Sola de Vega, Oaxaca, Mexico

Ancestral Method, Sola de Vega Style

Tepanal is the family project of Rafael García Aragón, who launched the brand in 2020 with his son Jair and partner Antonio Avendaño; the name comes from Tepanaltepec, “hill of honeycombs,” for the honey once harvested in these hills. Sola de Vega is the district that made clay-pot distillation famous, and this batch follows the old way throughout: a three-day roast in a conical pit over river stones, fermentation on wild airborne yeast in open wood vats, and double distillation in small clay pots, with the cuts judged by venencia and jícara. The December 2024 batch ran to just 225 litres. Explore more clay-pot and ancestral bottles in our mezcal range and the wider tequila and agave shelves.

Tasting Notes

Green agave, citrus peel, herbs and a light wisp of smoke over wet stone. The palate is silky and thick for an espadín — candied citrus, roasted agave, pepper and mint with a mineral, stone-driven freshness — finishing long and clean with subtle smoke and baked sugar. The capón maturity shows as extra depth and richness over a standard espadín.

How to Enjoy

Sip it neat from a copita or a small glass, rested a few minutes — ancestral mezcal rewards patience. It also makes a remarkable mezcal Old Fashioned. Find bitters and the rest of the build among our cocktail ingredients, and more small-batch agave in our spirits collection.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does capón mean?
The agave’s flowering stalk (quiote) is cut before it blooms and the plant is left in the ground for months or longer, concentrating its sugars in the piña instead of spending them on the flower — the result is a richer, deeper espadín.

What makes it “ancestral”?
The full ancestral method: pit roasting, fermentation in wood with wild yeast, and double distillation in clay pots — no copper, no industrial shortcuts.

What proof is it?
Bottled at still proof, 48.6% ABV (97.2 proof), exactly as it came off the clay pots, in a 750mL bottle.

Order Tepanal Ancestral Espadín Capón at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA — Sola de Vega clay-pot mezcal at its most expressive.