Tequila and Mezcal go hand in hand. Mezcal is actually a catch all term for any spirit made from the agave (or maguey) plant. Tequila is a sub category, and true Tequilas are made only from the blue agave, whereas Mezcal can be made from any species of maguey. They can both be sold unaged, as 'silver', rested in oak 'reposado' or aged in oak 'anejo'. Do not for a minute think that unaged examples are inferior though! Some silver mezcals and tequilas are just as good as the aged ones and offer a different mix of flavours. Mezcal can occasionally be a little smoky in flavour and inevitably draws comparisons to single malt Scotch whiskies. In our opinion there are some great Tequilas and Mezcals out there that deserve sipping rather than slamming, just avoid the cheap and nasty ones!
