Palenqueros Alberto Ortiz Espadín Mezcal

Palenqueros Alberto Ortiz Espadín Mezcal is a single-palenque joven mezcal from one of Oaxaca's benchmark producers, bottled under his own name. Palenqueros is the project started by Luca Gargano of La Maison & Velier, the Italian independent bottler, to put single producers from Oaxaca on the label under their own names. Alberto Ortiz is a fourth-generation palenquero working in Bramaderos, in the Miahuatlan district of southern Oaxaca, alongside his son Onofre, the fifth generation; his mezcal is well known in the category, and he has also distilled for brands such as Mezcalero. His espadin — 100% maguey espadin — is cooked in a conical earthen pit oven, crushed by hand with a wooden mallet, fermented naturally for about seven days on ambient yeast in pine vats, and distilled over direct fire in 350-liter pot stills. It goes into the bottle clear, straight from the still, at full proof: 49% ABV (98 proof), in a 750mL bottle, with no additives. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.

• Proof / ABV: 98 proof (49% ABV), bottled at still strength
• Size: 750mL
• Agave: 100% maguey espadin (Agave angustifolia), joven — unaged
• Production: Earthen pit oven, hand-crushed with wooden mallets, natural fermentation in pine vats, direct-fire 350-liter pot stills
• Maestro: Alberto Ortiz, fourth-generation palenquero, with his son Onofre
• Origin: Bramaderos, Miahuatlan, Oaxaca, Mexico — single palenque

The Producer Is the Brand

Most mezcal labels lead with a brand and hide the maker. Palenqueros inverts that: each bottling is named for the palenquero who made it, from his own palenque, by his own methods. Alberto Ortiz's name carries weight in Miahuatlan — he is the kind of distiller other brands seek out — and this espadin shows why: every step is manual and slow, from the hand mallet crushing to the week-long open fermentation, and nothing is adjusted on the way to the bottle. It is a benchmark for what single-palenque espadin can be. Explore more single-producer bottlings in our mezcal collection.

Tasting Notes

A powerful nose of damp earth, grass and mustard seed turning mineral and saline, with ginger, citrus and honeyed agave; then a lively palate of agave milk, pear, peach, mandarin, banana and pineapple, and a long, silky finish. Full-proof espadin with fruit and minerality in equal measure.

How to Enjoy

Pour it neat in a copita or small glass and give it time — a mezcal bottled straight from the still at 49% rewards patience as it opens. More artisanal agave spirits live across our spirits shelves.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Alberto Ortiz?
A fourth-generation palenquero in Bramaderos, Miahuatlan, Oaxaca, working alongside his son Onofre, the fifth generation. He is a respected Miahuatlan distiller who has also produced mezcal for the Mezcalero bottlings.

How is this mezcal made?
Espadin agave is pit-roasted in a conical earthen oven, crushed by hand with wooden mallets, fermented naturally for about seven days in pine vats, and distilled over direct fire in 350-liter pot stills — then bottled clear and unaged, straight from the still, with no additives.

How strong is it?
Full proof at 49% ABV (98 proof), in a 750mL bottle — the natural still strength, uncut.

Find Palenqueros Alberto Ortiz Espadin at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA — one palenque, one family, nothing hidden.