Reviews / Mezcal from Chilapa de Álvarez, Guerrero

Mezcal from Chilapa de Álvarez, Guerrero

Chilapa de Álvarez is the high-altitude Guerrero town anchoring the state's serious cupreata production. Volcanic soils above 1,400 meters; Mayalén-area palenques. The bottles read unlike anything Oaxaca makes – bright, aromatic, vegetal-floral, with a finish that runs cooler and more mineral. Bottles run $60-$100. Mayalén, Tres Papalote, and a handful of Mal Bien single-maestro releases set the standard.