Brand | El Buho Mezcal |
State | Oaxaca |
City | Santiago Matatlan |
Agave | Angustifolia |
Maguey | Espadin |
Distillation | Copper |
ABV | 43% |
Type | Joven |
El Buho Mezcal, founded in 2010 by Brooklyn-based Michelin star chef TJ Steele, is a brand that marries tradition with contemporary vibes. Produced by the 6th generation Jimenez Mendez family in Santiago Matatlan, Oaxaca, Mexico, El Buho is all about handcrafted excellence. The family uses copper pot stills and a traditional recipe to create their mezcal, with each batch overseen by patriarch Octavio Jimenez Monterroza. El Buho, meaning "the Owl" in Spanish, symbolizes the spiritual link between the living and the dead in Mexican culture. The brand's mission is to deliver high-quality mezcal at a fair price, making it a great, beautiful, and affordable choice for mezcal lovers.
I’ll take the Buho espadin happily as a sipper or in a cocktail. As an added bonus, you can find this bottle in a larger one liter offering for about $40-50 online, which I would consider an absolute steal. The smokiness is slightly shy relative to the rest of this list, but there’s still enough to satisfy.