The Lost Explorer Espadin Mezcal

The Lost Explorer Espadín is a beautifully approachable introduction to proper artisanal mezcal — smoky enough to remind you what you're drinking, but without tasting like someone set fire to the bar.

Handcrafted in San Pablo Huixtepec in Oaxaca's Valles Centrales, it is made from 100% Espadín agave (Agave angustifolia), with the plants allowed to mature for around eight years before harvesting. Production is overseen by Maestro Mezcalero Don Fortino Ramos, who has spent decades mastering traditional mezcal production.

The result is a sweet, herbaceous and fruit-forward mezcal combining fresh agave, red apple and ripe fruit with mesquite and a restrained layer of smoke. At 42% ABV, there's plenty of flavour without the alcohol overpowering the agave.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Crystal clear.

Nose: Fresh herbs and roasted agave with subtle woodsmoke, earth and gentle floral notes.

Palate: Sweet roasted agave leads into red apple and ripe orchard fruit, followed by fresh herbs, mesquite and an earthy minerality. The smoke remains beautifully controlled rather than dominating the spirit.

Finish: Smooth, warming and gently smoky, with lingering fruit, herbs and smoked wood.

Technical Details

Producer: The Lost Explorer
Origin: San Pablo Huixtepec, Oaxaca, Mexico
Style: Mezcal Artesanal Joven
Agave: 100% Espadín (Agave angustifolia)
Agave Age: Approximately 8 years at harvest
ABV: 42%
Maestro Mezcalero: Don Fortino Ramos
Fermentation: Open-top oak barrels with wild yeast
Distillation: Double distilled in copper alembic stills
Maturation: Unaged
Bottle Size: 750ml

The bottle itself is also worth mentioning: it's made in Mexico using recycled crystal scraps, hand-labelled and finished with a natural biodegradable cork and beeswax seal.

Why We Like It

If someone's introduction to mezcal has left them believing that the entire category tastes like tequila that's survived a house fire, pour them this.

The Lost Explorer Espadín is much more nuanced. There's smoke, certainly, but it's sitting alongside fruit, herbs, roasted agave and earthy character rather than steamrolling over everything else.

That makes it a cracking gateway into serious mezcal, while still offering enough complexity for people already well down the agave rabbit hole.