Gozona Sierra Negra Destilado Mezcal
Gozona Sierra Negra Destilado Mezcal is an uncertified destilado de agave from Luis Enrique Juárez of San Agustín Amatengo, Ejutla, Oaxaca, distilled from 100% Sierra Negra agave (a sub-varietal of Agave americana) and bottled at 48% ABV (96 proof) in a 750mL bottle. The agave is roasted in conical earth ovens over mesquite, crushed by ox-drawn tahona, fermented naturally in sabino vats with mountain spring water, and distilled in a copper refrescadera still. Note: this is the Juárez family’s Gozona bottling — a different producer and a different bottle from the Palenqueros Baltazar Cruz Sierra Negra we also carry. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- Style: Destilado de agave (uncertified mezcal), joven
- ABV: 48% (96 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Producer: Luis Enrique Juárez (with Sergio Juárez), Gozona
- Region: San Agustín Amatengo, Ejutla, Oaxaca, Mexico
- Agave: Sierra Negra (Agave americana)
Sharing From the Heart
Gozona is the work of maestro Luis Enrique Juárez of San Agustín Amatengo, in the Ejutla district of Oaxaca. A schoolteacher by trade, Luis Enrique is the heir to five generations of master distillers: he learned at the side of his father, Sergio Juárez, and built his own brand — Gozona, a Zapotec word meaning “sharing from the heart.” He is an expert in the copper refrescadera still, a traditional technique original to his town, and every batch follows the same slow arc: agave roasted in conical earth ovens over mesquite wood, crushed by ox-drawn tahona, and fermented naturally in sabino wood vats with mountain spring water. Because the Juárez family bottles outside the mezcal denomination, the label reads “Spirits Distilled from Agave” — a destilado de agave in the oldest Amatengo tradition, imported to the US by PM Spirits.
Tasting Notes
Sierra Negra is the giant of the americana family, and in the Juárez family’s hands it yields one of the most complex destilados in the Gozona range — deep, dark and layered, with the Amatengo earth-oven character running through roasted agave, dried fruit and warm spice. Tasting it beside the Palenqueros Baltazar Cruz Sierra Negra Mezcal is a genuine education in how two maestros read the same rare agave. Browse more on the mezcal shelf.
How to Enjoy
Neat and unhurried — a bottle for the end of the night and for collectors of rare americana agave. A splash of still water pulls the darker fruit forward. Find its palenque sibling, the Gozona Barril Chino Destilado Mezcal, and the wider tequila and agave spirits collection at Del Mesa.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the same as the Palenqueros Sierra Negra?
No. This is Gozona, by Luis Enrique and Sergio Juárez of San Agustín Amatengo. The Palenqueros bottling is by Baltazar Cruz of San Luis Amatlán — same agave, different producer, village and still.
Is Gozona Sierra Negra a mezcal?
It is made exactly as mezcal is in Amatengo, but bottled outside the denomination of origin, so it is labeled a destilado de agave.
What proof is it?
48% ABV, 96 proof, per the current bottling on the Rock Steady Spirits pricebook.
Order Gozona Sierra Negra Destilado Mezcal online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA — available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor while this small batch lasts.