Del Maguey Mezcal Iberico Santa Catarina Minas
Del Maguey Mezcal Iberico Santa Catarina Minas is a 98-proof (49% ABV) pechuga-style mezcal in a 750mL bottle — Espadin agave from Santa Catarina Minas, triple-distilled in ancestral clay stills, with wild mountain apples, plums, red plantains, pineapples, almonds and Jamon Iberico de Bellota in the third distillation. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- Proof / ABV: 98 proof (49% ABV)
- Size: 750mL, rare single-village release
- Agave: Espadin (A. angustifolia)
- Production: naturally fermented, triple-distilled in ancestral clay stills with bamboo tubing; third distillation with wild fruit, almonds and Iberico ham
- Village: Santa Catarina Minas, Oaxaca — palenqueros Florencio Carlos Sarmiento, Florencio Carlos Vasquez, Luis Carlos Vasquez, Luis Carlos Martinez
- Story: created with Chef Jose Andres and Chef Ruben Garcia of ThinkFoodGroup (2012)
- Recognition: 93 points, The Daily Pour
When a Chef Met a Pechuga Still
In 2012, Chef Jose Andres' research team — led by Chef Ruben Garcia — visited the Del Maguey palenque at Santa Catarina Minas and watched Pechuga being made: a third distillation through wild fruit, almonds and a whole chicken breast suspended in the clay still. Garcia's suggestion: replace the chicken with Jamon Iberico de Bellota, the legendary acorn-fed ham of Spain. He shipped a leg to Oaxaca, Ron Cooper ran the test distillation, and Iberico was born — a celebratory mezcal that marries Oaxacan clay-still craft with Spanish culinary heritage. See the rest of the Del Maguey collection and the mezcal aisle at Del Mesa.
Tasting Notes
Per review profiles: roasted agave, wood smoke, cured ham and wild herbs on the nose; savory smoke, ash, baking spice, butterscotch and grilled fruit on the palate; a long finish of roasted root vegetables, umami and salty-sweet savoriness.
How to Enjoy
Neat in a copita, sipped slowly — this is a contemplative pour, not a mixer. Pair it with cured meats, aged cheeses or dark chocolate the way you would the ham that inspired it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is in Del Maguey Iberico?
Espadin mezcal triple-distilled in clay stills, with wild mountain apples, plums, red plantains, pineapples, almonds and Jamon Iberico de Bellota added in the third distillation.
Does it taste like ham?
It carries a savory, salty-sweet umami depth from the Iberico — cured-meat and smoke notes woven through fruit and spice, not a ham-flavoured spirit.
Is Iberico a limited release?
Yes — a rare single-village expression produced in small quantities, highly collectible among mezcal enthusiasts.
A celebration in a bottle, and a story worth telling — order Del Maguey Iberico online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.