Oaxaca Old-Fashioned – El Tesoro Reposado
I guess it is a condition of every cocktail maniac to stockpile cocktail books. Yet, I almost never remix recipes from them. Since I vowed to change that, I am writing about Death & Co’s Oaxacan Old-Fashioned. On top of that, I am staying true to newly created ‘Agave Month’!
Well, I guess there is not much to say about the iconic drink created by Phil Ward. Except that you really have to try to get the original ingredients. I made an Oaxaca Old-Fashioned before with random tequila and mezcal I had at home. While it was good, it did not swipe me of my feet. However, when you use El Tesoro Reposado and a Del Maguey single village mezcal.
One of the best tequilas
The El Tesoro uses a Tahona to crush their agaves. After distillation the Reposado ages for nine to eleven months in ex-Bourbon barrels. It is verified additive free and bottled at 40 %. When you taste the tequila you are hit with a lot of cooked agave notes. The oak note lingers on in the back with spices and vanilla.
Smoky and ester notes
When it comes to the mezcal, I unfortunately did not get the right one. However, I went for the Del Maguey Chichicapa instead and did not regret it. The mezcal uses 100 % Espadin which age seven to eight years. In the end, Del Maguey bottles the mezcal at 46 % ABV.
1,5 cl Del Maguey Chichicapa Mezcal
2 Dashes Angostura Bitters
Stir – strain – chilled Old-Fashioned glass over large ice cubes;
Garnish: Orange Wedge; Song: Tito Larriva- Flor del Mal;
The Oaxaca Old-Fashioned starts with a great combination of agave and smoke notes. Obviously, the combination of the two base spirits with the agave syrup works perfectly well. However, the ester and umami notes of the mezcal keep the drink from becoming too smooth. In the end, the cocktail is just a great, agave forward sipper!
