Best mezcal 2022: 12 award-winning mezcals to try

While Tequila might be the first drink to come to mind when considering Mexican spirits, mezcal is rapidly gaining space in drinks cabinets and bar menus the world over. Part of mezcal’s new-found appeal is due to the diversity of styles on offer. While Tequila must meet very specific criteria – made with only Blue Weber agave and made in the state of Jalisco – mezcal can be made with a whole host of agave varieties from all over Mexico.

Each variety of agave plant has its own flavour profile, resulting in very different flavours and aromas for each example of the spirit. For instance, mezcals made from Espadín or Agave Angustifolia are usually herby and light, whereas mezcals made from Tobalá or Agave Potatorum are usually distinctly fruity due to the agave’s long maturity time before harvest.

One thing that most mezcals have in common is their signature smokiness. This is due to the production process of making mezcal, and is another characteristic the agave spirit has that stands apart from Tequila. In mezcal production, the hearts of the agave plants, piñas, are cooked in pits in the ground, giving them a depth and smokiness that sets mezcal apart from Tequila (where the piñas are instead steamed in an oven). The resulting depth and complexity of mezcal makes it prime for pairing with food, mixing in cocktails or simply enjoying neat.

Clinching one of the top-scoring spots in the mezcal category at this year’s IWSC was Corte Vetusto’s Mesquite Smoked Artesanal Espadin Joven Mezcal, a spirit with ‘an elegant nose with hints of cream cheese and vanilla, lifted by a touch of citrus pine smoke,’ according to judges. The ‘exciting’ mezcal was praised for red fruit on the palate, appearing alongside ‘refreshing cucumber and a suggestion of tobacco.’

If Tobala is more your thing, Los Vecinos Tobala Mezcal comes highly recommended, receiving a Gold medal and a score of 95 points, and impressing judges with its palate, which displayed a ‘breadth of mezcal flavours with maraschino-like cherry, blackberry and briny notes coming to the fore,’ and apparently with a ‘satisfying diesel finish.’

All the mezcals in this list were tasted blind by a panel of industry experts, including IWSC Spirits Communicator of the Year Millie Milliken, qualifications director for the WSET Antony Moss MW and agave spirits expert Deano Moncrieffe. Keep reading below for the top-scoring mezcals from the IWSC 2022, and for tasting notes from the experts.

HOW DO WE JUDGE THESE SPIRITS?

We run a tightly structured, rigorous spirits tasting process. That means that each spirit sample is pre-poured into numbered glasses and assessed blindly by the judges. Most importantly, our IWSC spirit judges are experts in their field, who work across all sectors of the drinks industry. For evidence, see our full list of judges.

HOW DO WE SCORE THESE SPIRITS?

Only the best spirits sampled receive a Gold or Silver award. For example, to win Gold, spirits have to score between 95 and 100 points. Meanwhile, Silver wines range from 90 to 94 points. Click here to read more on our scoring system.

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