Five Great Small-Batch Mezcales

Métl Silver<br> Described on Metl’s website as “smooth and fruity,” this mezcal is made with 100 percent espadín agave.<br> (Courtesy of Tequila.net)

Ilegal<br> Ilegal bakes its agave piñas in traditional ovens and crushes them with a millstone before hand-bottling and numbering its mezcales. The label is owned by American John Rexer, who also operates a mezcal bar in Antigua, Guatemala. The mezcal is made in Tlacolula, Oaxaca.<br> (Courtesy of Tequila.net)

Del Maguey Chichicapa<br> First introduced in 1995, this mezcal is made in Chichicapa, a Oaxacan village at about 7,000 feet elevation. Del Maguey mezcals have won numerous international awards.<br> (Courtesy of Mezcal.com )

Pierde Almas Tobalá<br> Made in Oaxaca, Pierde Almas makes small-batch mezcales using both wild and cultivated agave. Tobalá is a wild varietal and particularly sought-after among mezcal fans.<br> (Courtesy of Pierde Almas S.A de C.v)

Sombra With 45 percent alcohol by volume, Sombra describes its mezcal as spicy and fruity, with a “smokey nose.” The mezcal is made from organically farmed agave in the village of San Luis del Rio, Oaxaca. Courtesy of Mezcal.com