Most mezcal comes from Oaxaca. This one does not. Cenizo grows in Durango, in the high country of northern Mexico, and Agave durangensis is essentially found nowhere else. That geography changes everything about the spirit. The plants here are wild rather than cultivated and take around fifteen years to mature, growing slowly in a colder, drier, higher climate than the Oaxacan valleys, and the sugars that develop over that span produce something noticeably more mineral and more austere than a southern maguey. The production is traditional and the label states all of it. The piñas are roasted in a conical oven fired with mesquite and biznaga over volcanic stone, a very different wood profile from the encino oak used further south, and mesquite in particular gives a drier, sharper smoke. Milling is done by hand with an axe, which is about as labour intensive as agave processing gets. Fermentation happens naturally in open wooden vats, and the spirit is double distilled in copper alembics fitted with a wooden montera, meaning the still head is timber rather than metal. That is an uncommon piece of equipment and it softens the distillate in a way copper alone does not. Bottled unaged at 46 percent alcohol by volume as a numbered limited release. The result is clear and bright, with roasted agave, mesquite smoke, dry earth and herbal green notes on the nose, then a palate that runs mineral and savoury with citrus, cracked pepper and a distinct wild character underneath. The finish is long and dry. This is a mezcal for someone who already knows Oaxaca and wants to see what happens somewhere else.
ABV / Proof
| ABV |
46% |
| Proof |
92 |
| Size |
700ml |
| Country |
Mexico |
| Region |
Nombre de Dios, Durango |
| Category |
Mezcal Artesanal |
| Expression |
Logia Cenizo, Joven |
| Agave |
100% Agave Durangensis (Cenizo), wild, 15 year growth |
| Oven |
Conical, mesquite and biznaga over volcanic stone |
| Milling |
Hand milled with axe |
| Fermentation |
Open wooden vats |
| Distillation |
Double distilled, copper alembics with wooden montera |
| Age |
Unaged |
Tasting Notes
Color: Crystal clear and bright, unaged with no wood contact.
Nose: Roasted agave with dry mesquite smoke, earth and green herbal notes, lifted by citrus and a clear mineral streak.
Palate: Mineral and savoury, with cooked agave, citrus peel and cracked pepper over a wild vegetal character, the smoke drier and sharper than a Oaxacan maguey.
Finish: Long and dry, closing on minerals, smoke and lingering earth.
FAQ
What proof is Amarás Logia Cenizo? It is bottled at 92 proof, or 46 percent alcohol by volume.
What is Cenizo? Agave durangensis, a wild growing species found essentially only in Durango in northern Mexico. It takes around fifteen years to mature and is quite distinct from the magueys used in Oaxaca.
Is this from Oaxaca? No. It is made in Nombre de Dios, Durango, roughly a thousand kilometres north. Durango sits within the mezcal denomination of origin, and its climate and wood produce a noticeably drier, more mineral style.
What is a wooden montera? The head of the still, the part that sits above the copper pot, is made of wood rather than metal. It is an uncommon piece of equipment that softens the distillate.
How does it compare to the Logia Azul? The Azul is Oaxacan, made from blue agave at 43 percent, and reads brighter and sweeter. This is northern, wild, mesquite roasted and bottled at 46 percent, and it drinks drier and more mineral.
Where can I buy Amarás Logia Cenizo Mezcal online? Available here at Liquor On Broadway while stock lasts, with fast insured shipping nationwide.
