Salvadores Destilado con Hierba Santa is an artisanal Espadín mezcal distilled with fresh hierba santa by maestro mezcalero Flavio Pérez Méndez and his family in Tlacolula de Matamoros, Oaxaca, bottled at 90.4 proof (45.2% ABV).
Salvadores is a family company, founded when the current producer's great-grandfather began making mezcal. It is made at Casa Palacios (NOM 0654X) from 100% Espadín matured eight years, cooked in a conical earthen pit with sustainably harvested encino oak, milled by a horse-drawn stone tahona, fermented in traditional wooden tinas with well water and distilled twice in an alembic copper pot still.
Hierba santa, the sacred herb, also called hoja santa, root beer plant or Mexican pepperleaf, is a spade-shaped leafy herb widely used in the cooking of southern and central Mexico, most notably in mole verde, and its aroma instantly evokes the cuisine of Oaxaca and Puebla. Flavio and Salvador harvest the entire plant, stem to leaf, from the yard of their own palenque, and add four to five fresh stalks per 300 liters directly into the still during the second distillation, as though making a broth from the spirit.
The aroma is soft and light, with freshness, aniseed, mineral and herbaceous tones: anise, sage, thyme and lemon. Sweet cooked agave joins aniseed and mint on the palate, with fennel, licorice and spice, for a high herbal intensity. Transportive and unmistakable.
Tasting Notes
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Nose: Anise, sage, thyme, lemon.
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Palate: Cooked agave, licorice, fennel, mint.
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Finish: Herbal and long.
Specifications
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Brand: Salvadores
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Mezcalero: Flavio Pérez Méndez
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Region: Tlacolula de Matamoros, Oaxaca
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NOM: 0654X
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Agave: Espadín, 8 years
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Process: Earthen pit, tahona, wooden tinas, double copper distillation with hierba santa
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Proof / ABV: 90.4 proof (45.2% ABV)
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Size: 750ml
How to Enjoy It
Sip it neat to explore its herbal depth, or pair it with Oaxacan dishes such as mole verde.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is hierba santa?
The sacred herb, also called hoja santa or Mexican pepperleaf, central to Oaxacan cooking.
How is it added?
Fresh stalks go directly into the still during the second distillation.
Who makes it?
Maestro mezcalero Flavio Pérez Méndez and his family in Tlacolula, Oaxaca.
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