Tepanal Ancestral Arroqueño Mezcal
Tepanal Ancestral Arroqueño Mezcal is a still-proof ancestral mezcal from maestro Rafael García Aragón in Santa María Sola de Vega, Oaxaca, distilled from Arroqueño (Agave americana var. oaxacensis) and bottled at 49.5% ABV in a 750mL bottle. Arroqueño is one of the giants of the agave world, a plant that can take 15 to 25 years to mature and weigh several hundred pounds, and it is famous for making some of the richest, most savory mezcal there is. The García Quiroz family roasts the agave about three days in a stone-lined earthen pit, ferments it with wild yeast in open wooden vats, and double distills it in small clay pots. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- Proof / ABV: 99 proof (49.5% ABV), still proof
- Size: 750mL
- Agave: Arroqueño (Agave americana var. oaxacensis), 15-25 years to mature
- Maestro: Rafael García Aragón, García Quiroz family
- Method: Earthen pit roast, wild-yeast wood-vat fermentation, double clay-pot distillation
- Origin: Santa María Sola de Vega, Oaxaca, Mexico
A Quarter Century in a Single Plant
Tepanal, named for Tepanaltepec, “hill of honeycombs,” launched in 2020 with Rafael’s son Jair and partner Antonio Avendaño; the García Quiroz family has distilled in Sola de Vega, the district that made clay-pot distillation famous, for three generations. An Arroqueño plant spends up to 25 years in the ground before harvest, and that patience shows in the glass as unusual depth and weight. Compare it with the rest of our mezcal range and the wider agave shelves in spirits.
Tasting Notes
Green herbs and roasted vegetal depth up front, with the savory, almost brothy richness Arroqueño is prized for, layered over roasted agave sweetness and clay-pot minerality. The finish is long and weighty, the biggest-bodied pour in the Tepanal line.
How to Enjoy
Pour it neat and sip slowly — this is a contemplative mezcal that rewards a rested glass. A single ice sphere opens the savory notes without diluting the still proof. See more sipping agave spirits in our cocktail and mezcal collections.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Arroqueño take to mature?
15 to 25 years. The plants grow enormous, several hundred pounds, which is part of why Arroqueño mezcal is scarce and rich.
What proof is it?
49.5% ABV (99 proof), bottled at still proof in a 750mL bottle, as the bottle label states.
Who makes it?
Maestro Rafael García Aragón of the García Quiroz family in Santa María Sola de Vega, Oaxaca, double distilled in clay pots.
Find Tepanal Ancestral Arroqueño at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA — 25 years of agave in one clay-pot pour.