Mezcal Glossary

ah-roh-KEH-nyoh

• A very large, slow-maturing maguey (Agave americana var. oaxacensis) widely regarded as a genetic ancestor of espadín. It typically needs twelve to twenty-five years in the ground, and the small yield it gives per plant produces a broad, earthy, deeply mineral spirit. See also: Silvestre.

ah-SOOL

• The blue agave (Agave tequilana Weber var. azul) that is legally mandatory for tequila but is also permitted inside the mezcal appellation, where it appears occasionally in Durango, Michoacán, and Guanajuato. Its high sugar content and fast maturation make it an efficient but comparatively neutral choice for mezcal. See also: Denominación De Origen.

bah-REEL

• One of the stout, barrel-shaped members of the Agave karwinskii family, grown mainly in the central valleys and southern sierras of Oaxaca. Mezcal made from barril leans savory and herbaceous with a pronounced mineral spine. See also: Karwinskii

bee-KWEE-sheh

• A slender, narrow-leaved Agave karwinskii that grows atop a woody trunk, most associated with the Miahuatlán and Ejutla districts of Oaxaca. It contributes dry, peppery, faintly saline character and is frequently used in blends rather than alone. See also: Cuixe.

seh-NEE-soh

• The signature maguey of Durango (Agave durangensis), named for the ashy gray-green cast of its leaves. It grows at high, cold elevations, reproduces primarily by seed rather than offshoots, and gives a bright, fruity, pine-inflected mezcal distinct from Oaxacan profiles. See also: Silvestre.

CHEE-noh

• A Michoacán common name for Agave cupreata, referring to the curled or "curly-haired" appearance of the thorns running along its leaf margins. It is used interchangeably with papalote in some communities. See also: Cupreata.

see-mah-ROHN

• A wild-growing form of Agave salmiana var. crassispina found across the high plateau of Zacatecas and San Luis Potosí. Its name means "feral" or "untamed," distinguishing it from the cultivated salmiana historically planted for pulque. See also: Salmiana.

koh-YOH-teh

• A rare, very large Agave americana variant harvested in Oaxaca and Puebla, generally requiring fifteen to twenty years to mature. The name also carries a folk-historical charge, since a coyote is said in local legend to have uncovered the first fermented agave. See also: Arroqueño.

KWEE-sheh

• A tall, narrow-leaved Agave karwinskii that develops a visible woody trunk as it matures. It yields mineral, saline, almost briny mezcal and is one of the most sought-after wild varieties in Oaxaca. See also: Bicuixe.

koo-preh-AH-tah

• The dominant species of the Río Balsas basin, spanning Guerrero, Michoacán, and parts of Puebla, and known regionally as papalote, chino, papalometl, or ancho. It matures in roughly eight to fifteen years and produces vegetal, floral mezcal with tobacco and leather undertones. See also: Papalote.

ess-pah-DEEN

• The cultivated workhorse of the category (Agave angustifolia), named for its sword-shaped leaves. It matures in roughly six to eight years, carries high sugar content, and accounts for the large majority of certified mezcal made across the appellation. See also: Hijuelos.

ess-pah-deen-SEE-yoh

• A smaller Michoacán relative of espadín, treated by some botanists as a sub-variety of Agave angustifolia and recorded by regulators simply as an unspecified agave. It is prized locally for a leaner, more herbal expression than its larger cousin. See also: Espadín.

foon-kee-AH-nah

• A narrow, stiff-leaved agave endemic to the Sierra Madre Oriental in Tamaulipas, and one of the defining plants of that state's small mezcal tradition. It is often blended with univittata and americana in regional ensambles. See also: Univittata.

hah-bah-LEE

• Agave convallis, named for the wild boar and notoriously difficult to work with because its high saponin content makes the fermenting must foam violently in the still. Successful jabalí is treasured for its bright, citric, almost effervescent character. See also: Fermentación.

kar-WIN-skee

• The species umbrella covering the trunked, tree-like magueyes of southern Mexico, which local growers subdivide by shape into named forms rather than by botanical classification. Most karwinskii plants need ten to fifteen years to mature and give structured, savory, mineral-driven spirits. See also: Barril; Madrecuixe.

LAR-goh

• A long-stemmed Agave karwinskii form recognized by Oaxacan mezcaleros for its unusually elongated trunk and sparse leaf crown. It is typically wild-harvested and folded into ensambles for length and dryness on the palate. See also: Karwinskii.

leh-choo-GEE-yah

• A common name applied to several small, densely clustering agaves, most often Agave inaequidens in Michoacán and Agave univittata in the northeast. Because the name travels across regions and species, labels using it should always be read alongside the state of origin. See also: Univittata.

mah-dreh-KWEE-sheh

• The thickest-trunked and most robust member of the Agave karwinskii group, growing tall and slender like a small tree. It delivers herbal, citrus-edged mezcal with a firm mineral backbone and is among the most commercially visible wild varieties. See also: Karwinskii.

meh-hee-KAH-noh

• Agave rhodacantha, a tall plant with reddish marginal teeth cultivated and wild-harvested in Oaxaca and Puebla. Its mezcal tends toward tropical fruit and green herbs with a soft, rounded finish. See also: Ensamble.

pah-pah-loh-MEHTL

• A Nahuatl-derived name meaning "butterfly maguey," used in Puebla and parts of Guerrero for small rosette agaves of the potatorum and cupreata groups. The name reflects the shape of the leaf rosette rather than a single fixed species. See also: Tobalá.

pah-pah-LOH-teh

• The Guerrero and Michoacán name for Agave cupreata, and the backbone of mezcal production in the Balsas region. Papalote mezcal is characteristically earthy and smoky with a distinct vegetal weight. See also: Cupreata.

sahl-mee-AH-nah

• The massive, broad-leaved maguey of the central highlands, historically the principal pulque plant of San Luis Potosí and Zacatecas before it was adopted for distillation. Its mezcal is vivid and vegetal, often described as green-tasting and high-toned. See also: Cimarrón.

see-EH-rrah NEH-grah

• A very large agave of the americana and seemanniana complex harvested at altitude in Oaxaca and Puebla, needing well over a decade in the ground. It produces dense, sweet-earthy mezcal with a long mineral finish. See also: Arroqueño.

see-eh-RROO-doh

• A Durango maguey named for the saw-toothed or "serrated" edges of its leaves, harvested wild across the state's semi-arid scrubland. It is one of several northern varieties gaining attention as producers outside Oaxaca reach export markets. See also: Cenizo.

teh-peh-MEH-teh

• A wild sub-variety of Agave angustifolia growing in Durango, distinguished by spindly leaves and notably small piñas. Its low yield per plant makes single-varietal bottlings scarce. See also: Espadín.

teh-pes-TAH-teh

• Agave marmorata, a sprawling wild maguey that clings to cliffs and rocky slopes and can take twenty-five to thirty-five years to reach maturity. Its mezcal is the most aromatic in the category, with pronounced green-pepper, herbal, and floral notes. See also: Silvestre.

toh-bah-LAH

• Agave potatorum, a small, high-altitude rosette that grows in rocky shade and reproduces mainly by seed rather than by clonal offshoots. Because many plants are needed for a single batch and wild populations regenerate slowly, tobalá carries real sustainability pressure. See also: Hijuelos.

toh-bah-SEE-cheh

• A tall, single-trunked Agave karwinskii with a compact leaf crown, harvested across Oaxaca's central valleys. It gives dry, smoky, herb-forward mezcal that anchors many ensambles. See also: Karwinskii.

oo-nee-vee-TAH-tah

• A striped-leaf agave native to Tamaulipas and northeastern Mexico, also called lechuguilla in much of its range. It is a defining component of Tamaulipas mezcal, usually blended rather than bottled alone. See also: Funkiana.

VEHR-deh

• A regional name applied to two different plants: a bright green Agave salmiana var. crassispina in Durango, and a green-leaved Agave karwinskii in Oaxaca. As with lechuguilla, the state of origin determines which plant is actually in the bottle. See also: Karwinskii.

ah-boh-KAH-doh kohn

• An official class meaning "flavored with," covering mezcal to which fruit, herbs, insects, or extracts are added after distillation. The added ingredient must be named on the label, and this class is distinct from spirits flavored during distillation. See also: Destilado Con.

ahn-sess-TRAHL

• The most restrictive of the three official categories, requiring the agave to be cooked in an earthen pit, milled by hand mallet or stone wheel, fermented with the fibers present in wood, stone, earth, or animal hide, and distilled in clay pots with a copper or clay condenser. No mechanical shredders, autoclaves, or column stills are permitted. See also: Artesanal.

ah-NYEH-hoh

• A class denoting mezcal rested more than twelve months in wooden vessels no larger than one thousand liters, held in conditions that limit swings in light, temperature, and humidity. The years of aging must be stated on the front label. See also: Reposado.