San Bartolo Pelon Verde Cruz Rocksteady Selection Mezcal
San Bartolo Pelon Verde Cruz Rocksteady Selection Mezcal is a joven artesanal mezcal from maestro Enrique Díaz Cruz of Santa María Quiegolani, in the Yautepec district of Oaxaca, distilled from wild Pelón Verde agave (Agave angustifolia) and bottled at 47% ABV (94 proof) in a 750mL bottle. This is the bottling selected by Rock Steady Spirits — “Selected by Rock Steady Spirits” is printed on the label — and offered in California only. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- Style: Mezcal artesanal, joven
- ABV: 47% (94 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Producer: Enrique Díaz Cruz, San Bartolo
- Region: Santa María Quiegolani, Yautepec, Oaxaca, Mexico
- Agave: Pelón Verde (Agave angustifolia), wild (silvestre), 8 years to maturity
A High-Altitude Selection
San Bartolo was founded by Daniel Martínez and his grandfather, the legendary mezcalero Valentín Martínez López of San Bartolo Yautepec, to bottle the work of the maestro families of the Yautepec valley. In the neighboring village of Santa María Quiegolani — 7,000 feet up in the Sierra Sur — Enrique Díaz Cruz has made mezcal for most of his life, and this Pelón Verde is his signature wild agave. The plants mature eight years in the wild before harvest, then cook in a 12-ton earthen pit over black oak, are crushed by horse-drawn tahona, fermented eight days in wooden pine vats, and double distilled in small copper pot stills. Nothing is hurried and nothing is adjusted.
Tasting Notes
The Quiegolani style is less mesquite-forward than the Tlacolula valley: vibrant agave fruit, herbal and piney lift, crisp minerality and a delicate thread of smoke through the finish. The wild Pelón Verde adds a green, almost sauvage intensity you do not get from cultivated Espadín. For another wild-agave selection, see the Gozona Sierra Negra Destilado Mezcal, and browse the full mezcal shelf.
How to Enjoy
Neat, in a copita, at room temperature — a selection bottling like this is made to be studied, not mixed. A small plate of sal de gusano and orange slices is the traditional accompaniment. Explore more small-producer bottles across our tequila and agave spirits collection and the wider spirits range.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Pelón Verde?
A wild varietal of Agave angustifolia — the same species as Espadín, but grown wild (silvestre) around Quiegolani and harvested at about eight years.
What is the Rocksteady Selection?
This batch was selected by Rock Steady Spirits, San Bartolo’s California distributor; the selection is printed on the bottle’s label, and the batch is sold in California only.
Who made it?
Maestro Enrique Díaz Cruz of Santa María Quiegolani, Oaxaca — pit-roasted, tahona-crushed, pine-vat fermented and double distilled in copper.
What proof is it?
47% ABV, 94 proof.
Order San Bartolo Pelon Verde Cruz Rocksteady Selection Mezcal online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA — available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor while this California-only batch lasts.