Lost Explorer Espadín
First, the correction the label deserves: this is mezcal, not tequila — and the distinction matters. The Lost Explorer is made in Oaxaca, not Jalisco, by maestro mezcalero Fortino Ramos in the village of San Pablo Huixtepec, using traditional methods that give the spirit its smoke and its soul.
The agave is espadín (agave angustifolia), the backbone of Oaxacan mezcal, and Fortino leaves his plants a generous eight years to mature. The piñas are roasted for three days in a conical earthen pit over wood and hot rocks — that underground fire is where the gentle smoke comes from. Then it's crushed, open-fermented in oak with wild yeast, and twice distilled in a small copper still. It's bottled at 42%, at Fortino's preferred strength.
The nose is a warm bath of roasted agave and salted caramel with a wisp of hay. The palate is sweeter and more herbaceous than you'd expect: ripe apple, green pepper, a touch of powdered-sugar peach, all under a soft, well-judged smokiness rather than a bonfire. The finish is clean and lightly smoky. This is a brilliant place to start with mezcal, or to convert someone who thinks smoke means harshness.
Pour it slowly on an autumn evening when you want a spirit with a story in the glass.
How to Serve
Neat and room-temperature in a copita or small clay cup, sipped in tiny amounts — mezcal is for kissing, not gulping. A slice of orange on the side, if you like the tradition.
Where to Drink It
Tayēr + Elementary for a thoughtful agave selection. Swift in Soho for the mezcal range. Black Rock in Shoreditch for smoky-spirit lovers.
Food Pairings
Superb with charred sweetcorn and lime, or a wedge of orange dusted with chilli salt.
