Berta Vasquez was born into a mezcal family, but she was not raised to be a mezcalera. Her grandparents made mezcal, as did her parents, as did her late husband and late son. But when Berta’s husband tragically passed away, and she was left alone with four kids, she had to take matters into her own hands. Working with her then-sixteen year old son, she was thrust into the world of distillation, forced to take everything she had observed over her life and put it into practice.

Berta’s story is legendary in the agave world, as is her mezcal. Now in her mid-sixties, she continues to distill in San Balthazar Chichicapam at the palenque she started with her son Torito. Having tasted more than a handful of her spirits, from a variety of different labels, I’m at the point where I specifically seek out her distillates and treasure every sip. Hence, when Bad Hombre Imports told me they had a new batch of tobalá from Berta under the Agua del Sol label, I took everything they had on hand.

The best part? They now have it in 750ml and 200ml bottles, so those of you who don’t yet want to spend $100+ on a bottle of mezcal can try Berta’s elixir for a less intimidating fee of entry. This one is sweetly-spiced, borderline Tequila-esque, with no rough edges and minimal to no smoke. It’s elegant and stunning from front to back.

Also in 200ml is the simply magical bicuishe from Mucario Rios Altamirano from Miahuatlán. The aromas that come off of this are absolutely unreal, gobs of tropical fruit and spicy pepper, with a unique balance of weight and punch across the palate.

It’s nice to have such unique spirits in a more snackable format.

-David Driscoll