Lost Explorer Mezcal Espadin
Travel Distilled reviews Lost Explorer Mezcal Espadin, from a range of mezcals made in Oaxaca, Mexico, by a company co-founded by explorer David de Rothschild.
Who Is the Lost Explorer?
The ‘lost explorer’ is David de Rothschild, co-founder of this mezcal brand. He really is an explorer, which means that he probably has been lost for real, but he has definitely found himself again with this mezcal.
David was always a lover of Mexico and Mexican culture, but like many others before him, when he first discovered mezcal he was an instant convert. Mezcal has that effect on people. David also met the Maestro Mezcalero Don Fortino Ramos, and the two bonded immediately over a love of story-telling… and of mezcal.
They also shared a love of nature, and a respect for the earth, Don Fortino from years of crafting mezcal from agave plants, and David from his adventures around the globe. Eventually the idea for Lost Explorer Mezcal was born, and both men agreed that the production must be sustainable, must benefit the local community, and that they would give back to the earth somehow, and not just take from it.
To further these commitments, they partnered with the Voice for Nature Foundation, a global charity focused on creating a sustainable impact on our planet. They also use solar energy, turn their agave waste into fertiliser, have entered into long-term contracts with their agave growers, and plant at least three new agave plants for every one harvested.
Lost Explorer Mezcal Espadin Bottle
The bottle itself is quite a production. It’s hand-labelled, and the bottle is made from recycled crystal scraps. It has a natural wood stopper, and the top is sealed with biodegradable beeswax. This is bright red and is like the seal on a bottle of Maker’s Mark Bourbon.
Around the neck is carefully tied what looks like a luggage label but in fact this opens up to tell you more about the company, about each of its three mezcals, and with cocktail suggestions for each one.
Tasting Lost Explorer Mezcal Espadin
The mezcal is double-distilled in copper alembic stills, and bottled at 42% ABV (84 proof), as this is the strength at which Don Fortino thinks the mezcal is at its best.
This particular expression is made from the espadin agave, which grows around San Pablo Huixtepec in the Central Valley of Oaxaca. It’s a small town of fewer than 20,000 people about an hour south of Oaxaca City. Espadin is the most common type of agave used for making mezcal, but the Lost Explorer also has two other mezcals, one made from the tobala agave, the other from the salmiana agave.
On the nose this espadin mezcal is a lightly smoky delight that would appeal to anyone who likes a peaty whisky. And if you like whisky of any kind and haven’t yet tried mezcal, then what are you waiting for? There are also floral and fruity aromas, like apple. Tasting it you get the light smoke again, the apple, a hint of lemon, and a dash of peppery spice. The smoke lingers on the finish, but it is very light. It’s a beautifully subtle mezcal, which won a Gold at the 2021 International Spirits Challenge.
Mezcal Mixers
Mezcal is a very versatile spirit and gives a great twist on some of the more familiar cocktails. Lost Explorer recommends you try a Mezcal Margarita or a Mezcal Negroni. Anything you can do with tequila you can try with mezcal. It goes well with a quality tonic water, or with grapefruit soda.
I tried some with tonic and it was delicious. Luckily I had an unusual mixer in the fridge, from Sekforde. This was a very tasty-sounding Prickly Pear, Fig and Cardamom Soda, which is specifically designed to mix with mezcals and tequilas. I couldn’t resist having a sip of it straight, and wow, it tasted just as good as it sounds.
I love the way Sekforde describes this mixer on its website, so as I can’t put it any better I’ll let their words speak for themselves:
This mixer is based on the principle of ‘what grows together, goes together’ (prickly pear and fig trees grow beside agave plants). Here, the prickly pear and fig deliver understated honeyed notes, complementing the smoky sweetness in agave based spirits. While cardamom layers with the spicier finish unique to tequila and mezcal.
And with Lost Explorer Mezcal Espadin? All I can say is that it’s a match made in heaven and I need to get some more… of both!
Buying Lost Explorer Mezcal Espadin
The Lost Explorer Mezcal Espadín has a recommended price of £62.50 in the UK for a 70cl bottle. It’s available from thelostexplorer.com, Ama