The Lost Explorer Espadín Joven Mezcal

A multi award-winning Espadín mezcal from agave aficionado The Lost Explorer. A sweet and herbaceous expression, well-balanced with hints of sweet red apple, ripe fruits, roasted agave and a smooth, mild smoked wood finish.

• Distillery: The Lost Explorer - Fortino Ramos
• Type: Joven Mezcal
• Region: Oaxaca, Mexico
• Alcohol: 42%
• Volume: 700ml
• Other: 100% Espadín Agave
• Goes with: Neat or over ice, premium soda

Espadín is the most commonly sourced agave varietal for mezcal. Its sky-reaching sword-like leaves protect the piña. Typically, an Espadín agave will take 5-8 years to reach maturity, though we like to leave ours alone for 8. The extra time is well savoured.

This popular mezcal will impress any mezcal lover. Makes a great gift for someone special or corporate gift. Get delivered direct to your door or treat someone special. Buy right here.

OUR PURPOSE

 "The Lost Explorer Mezcal began as a curiosity of time and the earth. That curiosity has led us to create a small-batch mezcal as a toast to empowering sustainable Mexican enterprise, whilst also protecting the ancient artisanal craft, heritage and biodiversity of Mexico.

Celebrate the Earth

There is a secret language: the sun speaks to the earth, the wind speaks to the rain, the fire to the fibres of the piña. Our job is to listen to that conversation and nurture a home for its continued discourse. The agave has made a noble sacrifice for The Lost Explorer Mezcal and we honour that with care for the earth in every step of our process.

Live Curiously

Each of us is born curious, but where does it go and what does it become? We believe in having more questions than answers, in constantly inhabiting the realm of the unknown, for that is where growth happens. We embrace curiosity as a fundamental human sense, letting it guide us in our quest to more deeply understand mezcal, the earth and each other.

Enrich Community

From the age-old techniques our craftspeople call upon to create The Lost Explorer Mezcal, to the land from where it’s born, we remain forever enamoured by Oaxaca; its Nature, people, myths and mysteries, rituals, sunlight, food — it all comes together in this beautiful alchemy. We raise a glass to all things Curiously Oaxaca and commit to always supporting and learning from this inspiring community. The rich local fauna is the inspiration for our take on the Alebrijes, the traditional and whimsical craft of this magical place.

Ongoing Sustainability Initiatives

Honouring the sacred vow between humankind and the maguey, The Lost Explorer Mezcal is committed to the sustainable production of high-quality handcrafted mezcal in a manner that benefits the local mezcal-producing community in Oaxaca and protects the land’s biodiversity, with the long-term mission of becoming the most sustainable mezcal brand in the world. In this journey, we will hold ourselves to the highest standards of globally recognized pillars of environmental excellence, while constantly striving to raise the bar for the industry. 

The Lost Laboratory

Beyond setting high standards for sustainability in our current production process, we are actively exploring ways to push industry standards. The Lost Laboratory is being built to do just this. While being respectful to the great depths of wisdom and tradition of the past, we are looking to the future and seeking ways to build further sustainability through constant experimentation. As The Lost Laboratory and its curiosities develop, there will be questions, doubts, breakthroughs, failures and great (and great-tasting) successes. We look forward to sharing our journey with you. 

OUR CRAFT

A labour of love. Our artisanal mezcals are born from a process deeply in tune with the rhythm of Nature.

Fortino Ramos

For the past 40 years, internationally recognized and award-winning Maestro Mezcalero Don Fortino Ramos has dedicated himself to mastering the art of distilling mezcal. A love for the craft runs in the family: his daughter, Xitlali, works closely by his side in her pursuit to become the family’s second generation mezcalera.

Cultivate

We believe in order to best serve Nature, we must listen to it and learn from it. On ancestral Miztec land in Valles Centrales, Oaxaca, our agaves spend 8-12 years reaching their ripest maturity in different parts of the arid and sun-soaked valley. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to caring for each of our varietals—Espadín, Tobalá and Salmiana vary in average size, each with its own particularities we listen to and care for. To promote biodiversity, we plant three new wild agaves for every one hand-harvested and never use insecticides, enriching the land for all species calling it home.

The rigorous and precise process of harvesting the piña is entrusted to our few and fearless jimadores who call upon a centuries-old expertise to carve through the agave’s protective leaves. Once they have reached their full maturity, each agave is individually hand-harvested the jimadores, who help determine the precise moment of ripeness. Our Maestro Mezcalero Don Fortino determines the final selection of the agave, according to his knowledge and expertise, as it is the agave itself that has the greatest influence on the taste profile of each mezcal.

The spiky protective leaves and roots are cut away using a machete to leave the piña. These hearts of the agave, often weighing 80-200 pounds, are where the sugars are concentrated and give life to what will ultimately be the curious spirit of The Lost Explorer Mezcal. The longer an agave matures, the longer it has to soak up the elements of Nature, and the richer its sugar content. There is a patience built into the process.

Cook

Here, we return the piñas to the earth. Dug into the ground, conical earthen ovens lined with volcanic rock, reclaimed local wood, soil, and river stones are filled with piñas and covered with a tarp and soil. After 3 days of cooking, the piñas are then uncovered, letting the perfectly roasted agave rest and cool for 2-3 days.

Mill

At this stage, the sweet-smelling roasted agaves are fully ground and macerated to break down the fibres and prepare the agave to take on full character in the fermentation stage. (We opt not to use a donkey-towed tahona as some traditional methods do because, well, there are other ways to do this that don’t involve four-legged friends).

Ferment

Smoked and now with all fibers thoroughly exposed, the agave is transported to open-top oak barrels where they are set to rest in pure spring water as the wild yeasts find harmony with the elements. Fermentation occurs naturally, and these wild yeasts are unique to The Lost Explorer Mezcal palenque, another key factor in determining the character and taste of each mezcal varietal. Maestro Mezcalero Fortino Ramos meticulously sets the atmosphere for the fermentation and monitors this closely over the following days as it matures. For Fortino, being in tune with the yeast is critical.

Distill

At the end of the fermentation process, the liquid and agave fibres are placed into copper alembic stills, where they are double-distilled in small batches to achieve the purest and smoothest expression of the agave. According to NOM legislation, mezcal must be between 36% and 55% alcohol by volume (ABV). A key skill of the Maestro Mezcalero is knowing when and where to make the cut. Don Fortino’s preferred bottling strength is 42% ABV, as he believes this offers the perfect balance of raw ingredients and alcohol. This is very much a signature style of The Lost Explorer Mezcal, producing a smooth, well-balanced and elegant flavor that allows the full complexity of the agave to shine through. Once Fortino is satisfied with the final liquid, it is ready to be bottled as a joven (unaged) mezcal.

Bottle

Finally, each uniquely profiled mezcal varietal is presented in glass bottles, made in Mexico from recycled crystal scraps, hand-labelled, sealed with natural biodegradable cork and finished with a kiss of natural beeswax. The Lost Explorer Mezcal is then ready to take on the world."

The Lost Explorer

• Gold - 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition - Espadín
  
• Gold - 2021 International Spirits Challenge - Espadín
  
• 93/100 Points - 2021 The Tasting Panel - Espadín
  
• Silver & 91/100 Points - 2021 International Wine & Spirits Competition - Espadín
  
• Silver - 2021 Tequila & Mezcal Masters (The Spirits Business) - Joven Mezcal
  
• Excellent - 2021 Difford's Guide - Espadín
  
• 86/100 Points - 2021 Ultimate Spirits Competition - Espadín