Mezcal spent years being introduced to people almost entirely through smoke. One sip, immediate campfire, somebody saying “wow that’s intense” before coughing politely. Los Siete Misterios helped show there was far more going on than that.

Founded in 2010, the project works with Oaxacan mezcaleros using traditional production methods across different villages and agave varieties. Earth ovens, wild fermentation, tahona milling and clay pot distillation all appear throughout the range depending on the expression.

The mezcal itself leans beautifully expressive. Espadín bottlings like Doba-Yej bring citrus, herbs, pepper and gentle smoke without completely flattening your palate. Further up the range things get wilder. Arroqueño, Tobalá and other agaves introduce floral notes, tropical fruit, savoury earthiness and that strange mineral character good mezcal often carries.

What makes Siete Misterios particularly interesting is that the mezcaleros themselves shape the flavour profile heavily from batch to batch. The spirits still feel handcrafted rather than standardised into identical international luxury products. Slight variation remains part of the point.

There’s also a proper sense of Oaxaca running through everything. Smoke, roasted agave, dust, citrus and heat all somehow wrapped into the glass. Mezcal that feels connected to people and landscape rather than purely category trends.