OAX Original has launched a trio of limited edition Mezcales that come in collectible bottles. The Brooklyn and Mexico-based spirits company crafts the Mezcals from 12 to 25-year-old agave plants.
The limited edition line of agave spirits from OAX Original Mezcales includes Arroqueño, Tobalá, and Tepeztate. They were crafted by third-generation master mezcalero Enrique Hernandez Zenea and made using wild, single-origin, foraged agave plants from the Central Valleys of Oaxaca. The hearts of the agaves are slow cooked in the ground with oak and mesquite for up to 8 days, stone ground by horse, then wild yeast fermented in pine barrels and double distilled
Arroqueño comes from plants that are ages 14 to 18 years and offers aromas of wood and cooked agave. The palate is buttery with hints of sweet coffee. More coffee and almonds linger on the finish. It comes in a black colored bottle and is priced at $120.
Tobalá is crafted from plants with an average age of 12 years old. Described as “explosive” and “complex,” the Mezcal offers “sweet floral and herbal hints in its silky textured body, with an almond finish.” It comes in a white bottle and is priced at $140.
Tepeztate is made from 25-year-old plants and is described as possessing a “pristine, bright and dense body.” It delivers citrus aromas, which develop into a subtle smoke and wet earth taste. It comes in a pink bottle and is priced at $190.
Each bottle of OAX Original is unique and is inspired by vernacular Mexican architecture. The vessels are ceramic, and have texture and weight.
“The idea behind this brand is searching for beauty,” Laura Giraudo, co-founder and creative lead/designer, OAX Original, told Forbes. “We approach mezcales differently, and the concept behind this brand is the search of beauty.”
“Mezcal fans have been blown away by their beauty, but there has also been great interest by people who have never tried mezcal before,” says Giraudo, who also is a co-founder of Bardo Industries, an interdisciplinary Design Studio based in Brooklyn, NY. “Some people buy it because they’re attracted to the brand, but we’ve seen customers order online, and then they come back and order another time, and that’s just been within the last month and a half (since the brand launched in December).”