Madre Mezcal Ancestral Ensamble is from Minas, Oaxaca, made as a blend of Espadín and Tobasiche using ancestral methods (hand-crushed agave and distillation in clay pots). Clay pot distillation tends to pull out extra earthiness and minerality, wrapping around the mezcal’s sweet, botanical agave character with a subtle, controlled smokiness rather than an ashtray blast. Bottled at 47% ABV, it drinks punchy but polished, with notes of sweet roasted agave, dried herbs, wet stone minerality, and a restrained, earthy smoke that lingers clean on the finish.