Why do many in the mezcal business, self-aggrandizing experts and others supposedly informed, avoid the idea of drinking mezcal with worm and any type of aged product, whether it be rested or aged? More troubling is that many advise drinkers not to even touch their lips to anything other than a white or young (ageless) mezcal. This topic is particularly incomprehensible given that corn whiskeys, brandies, scotches, and some wines are aged in oak barrels. And both internationally renowned chefs and acclaimed Oaxacan traditional cooks use the maguey worm or agave worm to flavor some of their culinary delights.
In prehistoric times, that is, before the mid-1990s, we drank relatively few types of mezcal. Without exception, our options were essentially limited to unaged, reposado (aged in oak for at least a couple of months), aged (aged in oak for no less than a year), “with the worm”, and if we were lucky we could put our hands on the odd bottle of tobalá. The selection options are very different today, innumerable in fact. Many drinkers have never known or forgotten that quality mezcal can come in various forms, even aged and infused.
Mezcal with Worm
Mezcal with gusanso first appeared on the market decades before the modern era. It became popular on college campuses as a cheap way to get drunk fast due to its relatively high alcohol content, and of course the traditions and myths surrounding its absorption carried its popularity forward. “The worm”, actually a moth larva that infests and attacks the root and heart of certain agave species. [variously identified as Aegiale hesperiaris, Hypopta agavis and/or Comadia redtenbacheri] became a marketing tool for distillers, exporters, importers, and distributors. But the infusion also changed the flavor of the mezcal in which it was inserted. Most gave little thought to considering how the character of mezcal was being altered, and would never regard this type of mezcal as a fine liquor. Maybe back then it wasn’t.
But, what if today you enjoy the nuance of mezcal that has been infused with a worm? A couple of years ago I grabbed a bottle of worm mezcal from one of the shelves that housed my agave brandy collection. I drank it slowly. The taste surprisingly reminded me of a couple of my favorite whiskeys, Islay’s peaty single malt Scotch!
Today there are good and bad mezcals with worms, based on our evaluations on subjective criteria, just as there are good and bad mezcals without aging. Quality can be affected, among other factors, by the type of worm (although it is usually a type used to flavor mezcal), how the larva has been prepared for infusion in the mezcal, the species and subspecies of agave used. to make the base mezcal, and the skill of the artisanal distiller. The point is that yes, this type of mezcal was probably initially marketed with a view to increasing sales of the liquor due to its uniqueness, but we must give it a try, just as we would try different young mezcals. Not all mezcals produced with madrecuixe, tepeztate, wild boar, tobalá and espadín are the same. Some we like and some we don’t. You can find the same with worm mezcal. And if you find a couple of brands to your liking, you can stop spending $ 100 on a bottle of Lagavulin. So don’t dismiss worm mezcal just because at this point in history it’s not good for you to like it, or because your memory is clouded by what it meant to you years or decades ago.
Mezcal Añejo
Now the history of añejo mezcal is completely different, since long before the appearance of mezcal with worm, the añejos and, to a lesser extent, the reposados were considered quality spirits. Fortunately, in many circles they still are, and indeed many brands have been able to capitalize on the continuation of this perception. But since the early 2000s a movement has emerged that appears to be gaining traction, scorning the spirits of aged agave, particularly mezcal. The logic goes something like this: they are not “traditional” mezcals; aging masks the natural flavors of mezcals derived from a species of agave and impacted by the means of production and tools of commerce and the microclimate; And the list goes on. Therefore, we must avoid drinking rested and aged at all costs. Defenders of these lines of thought speak out, spread their position on their websites, and promote their “knowledge” in print, all with the goal of promoting the industry.
What can be more traditional than a custom that dates back hundreds of years? Depending on which version of history one subscribes to, the aging of agave spirits in oak barrels dates back to somewhere between the 1500s and 1700s, and certainly not more recently. The oral histories that I have taken personally are based on elderly palenqueros who told me their own experience dating back to the 1940s. The current crop of brand owners and representatives was not even born then.
The history of the aging of mezcal in wood begins with the arrival of the Spanish to the New World with brandy transported in oak barrels. Many barrels were left in what is now Mexico. Even using the most recent date of the 16th century for the birth of distillation in Mexico, we find aging. This is why. Sometime after distillers began producing agave brandy and storing and transporting it in clay pots, they realized that the transport capacity was restricted to about 70 – 80 liters due to the size of the containers. And since the pots were brittle, they were prone to breakage. The oak barrels from Spain were initially made available for the same purposes, that is, to store and transport the brandy. They became preferred because they were larger and more resistant to breakage than clay jugs. So if not by design, by default, Palenqueros were aging their spirits in oak, a long, long time ago, and consumers were enjoying it. Añejo mezcal is traditional. Consult the purists who claim that mezcal should only be stored in a glass. Is glass traditional? No, clay predates oak. Clay also changes the notes of the agave spirit. Perhaps we should distinguish the traditionalists from the purists.
But some of these same “experts”, the purist class, drink, sell and promote mezcal de pechuga. Usually this type of mezcal has been distilled for the third time, during which time there is usually a meat protein (chicken or turkey breast, rabbit or venison meat, etc.) hanging in the upper chamber of the copper alembic. or clay pot, over which the steam thus imparting a subtle change in the nuance of the spirit. Most contemporary distillers insert a variety of fruits, herbs, and spices into the bottom pot while continuing to use the protein in the process. There are countless variations on the theme. In any case, all of these added products drastically alter, and do to some extent mask the natural flavor imparted by the particular agave species, the means of production, and the tools of the trade. Where aged agave brandy is not acceptable, breast mezcal is, and it is sold at attractive prices. Is there a disconnect?
There are other reasons used to urge spirit drinkers not to drink aged mezcal:
1) “I don’t sell añejo in our mezcalería because I haven’t found any good ones.” Seriously? I sure have found some. I won’t mention brands, but there are many good vintage produced by master distillers who are serious about aging, resting in one type of cask for six months, then another type for a year or two, etc. Of course there are palenqueros who limit themselves to putting a bit of their young sprat in any barrel of whiskey or old wine and do not take its aging seriously. But there are others who treat the rest of their mezcal in oak as an art, a true skill; as are the Scottish scientists employed in, for example, Glenmorangie, with its different types of barrels and variability in the number of barrel years. Some of our Oaxacan palenqueros age not only sprat, but also less common agave subspecies such as karwinskii (i.e. barrel and madrecuishe), potatorum (tobalá), and more.
2) “There is fraud at play, with some producers putting a drop or two of caramel coloring in their supposedly aged mezcals and therefore tricking the public into buying what is not actually aged.” If this happens. But when something is added to a mezcal, the regulation dictates that the label indicates it, by designating the product as a doom. And yes, sometimes producers don’t follow the rules. The easy solution is to try mezcal, and if it has an oak or charred undertone or whiskey or some other undertone that you like and actually like, buy it and enjoy it.
The recent promotion of mezcal based on the species and subspecies of agave rather than the few categories noted at the beginning, as well as the particular town or district where the agave was grown and processed into mezcal, has helped the industry reach where is today. But the downside has been that the añejos have been left behind and many of those who have become fans of mezcal have not even had the opportunity to taste vintage products. And they wouldn’t even think of trying a worm mezcal. It’s just not cool or acceptable in much of the world today.
conclusion
It’s time we start embracing diversity, which includes worms, reposados, and vintage, and ignore the naysayers or, better yet, tell them that their opinions are no more valid than ours. If we, the drinking public, try a mezcal with something in the bottle or a product that is not entirely clear, and we do not like it, we may not try it again, or we can try a different brand or batch. But do not even suggest that it is not traditional or of good quality. Let’s be the referees. Retailers, mezcalerías and tasting rooms should consider bringing at least some of these products initially so that we can make our own decisions. Otherwise, they are doing a disservice to producers who are continually working hard to try to create more enjoyable and varied mezcals, and more importantly, they are restricting the options of their own clientele, for no valid reason.