Tequila & Mezcal
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Agave variety

Arroqueño mezcal

Agave americana var. oaxacensis — a giant that can take fifteen years and produce some of the deepest, most savoury mezcal made.

Species
Agave americana var. oaxacensis
Cultivation
Wild and planted
Maturity
12–15 years
Main states
Oaxaca
Bottles in catalog
240
Average rating
3.60 / 5

Arroqueño is enormous. A mature plant can weigh several hundred kilos, and a single one may fill a good part of a small earthen oven. It is often described as a relative or ancestor of espadín, and it grows both wild and, increasingly, planted.

The size is deceptive: because it takes twelve to fifteen years, planting arroqueño is a bet on the next generation, and most of what is bottled today was in the ground long before mezcal was fashionable.

Arroqueño mezcal is dense and earthy — cacao, dried fruit, wood and mineral — with a long, sweet-savoury finish that rewards slow drinking.

What arroqueño tastes like

Dark cocoa, dried fig, leather, damp earth and a long mineral tail. Smoke integrates rather than dominating, and the texture is heavier than espadín or tobalá.

It is a good bottle for anyone who finds bright wild agaves too sharp: arroqueño trades acidity for depth.

Arroqueño bottles, rated by the community

120 bottles with photos and documented origin · mostly from Oaxaca, Tamaulipas, Puebla

Arroqueño — frequently asked

What is arroqueño mezcal?
Mezcal distilled from Agave americana var. oaxacensis, a very large, slow-growing agave often considered a relative of espadín. It gives deep, earthy, cocoa-driven spirit.
How long does arroqueño take to mature?
Usually 12 to 15 years, and sometimes longer for wild plants.

Compare across the whole catalog in the best mezcals guide or browse by producer.