Corte Vetusto Mezcal has launched an ultra-rare ‘ancestral’ expression as part of its ‘mesquite smoked’ craft portfolio. Only 70 bottles of the 100-per-cent agave spirit, produced in Oaxaca, have been released. Crafted by fourth-generation ‘maestro mezcalero’ Isidro Damian, Corte Vetusto Ancestral is an un-aged spirit made with Sierra Negro agave, a rare sub-species of agave Americana which is sustainably grown and harvested on Damian’s estate in Villa Sola de Vega. It is produced using traditional methods, with the agave hearts hand-mashed in a wooden ‘canoa’ with wooden mallets and then left to naturally ferment in open-topped wooden vats. As an ancestral mezcal, distillation occurs exclusively in wood-fired clay pots. It is distilled to proof, and the distiller says it contains notes of black pepper spice, green peppers, grapefruit and green mango with some wood smoke.