Don Amado Arroqueño Mezcal 750ml

Don Amado Arroqueño Mezcal is an artisanal Oaxacan mezcal crafted from 100% Arroqueño agave, a large and slow-growing maguey prized for its extraordinary concentration and complexity. Produced by the Arellanes family using generations-old methods, this distinctive 750ml expression combines caramelized agave, gentle smoke, ripe fruit, citrus, chocolate, espresso, and savory spice.

The Arroqueño agave used for this expression is grown around San Pablo Apóstol, Oaxaca, at approximately 4,800 feet elevation. Arroqueño requires around 18 years to reach maturity, giving the plant considerable time to develop the sugars and complex flavors that define the finished mezcal. Unlike some scarce agave varieties, Arroqueño can be cultivated, allowing Don Amado to produce this distinctive expression from a renewable agricultural source.

Production remains deeply rooted in traditional Oaxacan mezcal-making. Mature agave is halved and quartered before being roasted underground for four days using guamúchil and mesquite wood. This slow earthen roasting develops rich caramelized-agave flavors and the restrained smoky character found in the finished spirit.

After cooking, the agave is macerated and fermented together with the bagazo in 1,400-liter pine vats using naturally occurring airborne yeasts. The fermented mash is then double distilled in traditional ceramic clay pot stills, a historic technique closely associated with Santa Catarina Minas and the distinctive style of mezcal produced by the Arellanes family.

The aroma opens with caramelized agave, leather, delicate smoke, and cooked yam. On the palate, a supple texture reveals an unusually complex combination of quince, persimmon, lemon verbena, kaffir lime, chocolate, espresso, and savory spice. Mineral and roasted notes provide structure and continue through the lingering finish.

Unlike Don Amado's barrel-aged expressions, Arroqueño is unaged, allowing the distinctive characteristics of the mature agave, earthen roasting, natural fermentation, and clay-pot distillation to remain at the forefront. It is bottled at 46% ABV (92 proof).

Enjoy Don Amado Arroqueño Mezcal neat in a copita or tasting glass to fully appreciate its fruit, mineral, smoke, and savory complexity. A small amount of water can also help reveal additional aromatics.

Product Details

• Brand: Don Amado
• Expression: Arroqueño
• Category: Mezcal
• Type: Mezcal Artesanal
• Agave: 100% Arroqueño
• Agave Origin: San Pablo Apóstol, Oaxaca
• Distillery: Destilería Real de Minas
• Master Distiller: Germán Arellanes Arellanes
• Distillery Region: Santa Catarina Minas, Oaxaca
• Elevation: Approx. 4,800 ft / 1,463 m
• Agave Maturity: Approx. 18 years
• Cooking: 4-Day Earthen Pit Roast
• Fuel: Guamúchil & Mesquite Wood
• Fermentation: Pine Vats with Airborne Yeast
• Distillation: Double Distilled in Ceramic Pot Stills
• Aging: Unaged
• ABV: 46%
• Proof: 92
• Bottle Size: 750ml
• Country: Mexico

Tasting Profile

• Nose: Caramelized agave, leather, soft smoke & cooked yam
• Palate: Quince, persimmon, lemon verbena & kaffir lime
• Deeper Notes: Chocolate, espresso & savory spice
• Texture: Supple and concentrated
• Finish: Mineral, roasted, savory & lingering