When
sipping fine mezcal, “you really taste the agave in it,”
says Lucinda Hutson, author of “Tequila! Cooking with the Spirit
of Mexico.”“You
taste the smoke, the fire, and the way in which piñas are baked
underground.”
Before tasting, selecting the right glassware once again plays an important part in setting off the flavor of a spirit.
Agustín Gaytán, a chef who specializes in Mesoamerican cuisine and libations, suggests that when tasting mezcal, it’s best to use traditional Mexican clay glasses called jarritos.
“Mezcal is
good out of those glasses,” says Agustín, “because
there is something about the combination of the clay and the smokiness
of mezcal that really goes to your head.”
The same techniques used to evaluate tequila can be used to evaluate mezcal. The difference is that not only is there agave flavor present, but the level and smoothness of the smokiness must be taken into consideration.
Not everyone acquires a taste for mezcal’s smokiness. “It’s
like when you crave a cigar,” says Agustín. You don’t
crave a cigar every night. Well, some people do. Your body has to be
ready for that flavor, that experience.”