Mezcal Marca Negra Tobala (48.8%)

And the double gold medal goes to….Mezcal Marca Negra Tobala! 
—San Francisco Spirits Competition 2017

Marca Negra is on a mission. The mission is bringing quality traditional Mezcals into this world. Full of character and integrity. The company seeks out agave Spirits from small distilleries across Mexico and bottles them in small batches. Mezcal is a true artisanal craft product, as it is very village-specific, where the secrets of the trade are passed down from generation to generation and each Mezcal is as distinct as the next one. It can be made from over 30 varieties of agave as opposed to Tequila. Mezcal is cooked underground, over a wood fire and covered in layers of agave leaves and earth. The process imbues a special aroma and flavor into the Spirit, giving it the identifiable smoky quality. 

Anyways, if you’ve never had Mezcal before, but feel the thirst, we’ve got you covered. This smoky bad boy right here is probably as good as it gets. Marca Negra Tobala is made at a traditional Palenque in San Luis Del Rio using a tiny, rare and wild species of agave, tobalá maguey. This wild agave is small, low yielding, but very high in sugar. Very difficult to harvest and as such --- quite exclusive. The Spirit is double distilled in a copper pot still, resulting in a tremendously rich, unmistakable flavor that packs some personality and let me tell you - at 48.8% ABV - also quite a punch. But the punch doesn’t overpower. In fact this is as balanced and elegant a Mezcal as you’re gonna find. Made the genuine, traditional way.

Character and integrity. That’s what Marca Negra wanted and that’s what they achieved. Mission accomplished.