Common name

Espadín

Scientific name

Agave angustifolia

Description

Espadín is the agave behind most people’s first mezcal, and most of what’s poured. It’s responsible for at least 80% of mezcal sold.

Size

2.5-4.5 ft (0.76-1.37 m)

States

Aguascalientes; Chiapas; Chihuahua; Ciudad de México; Colima; Durango; Estado de México; Guanajuato; Guerrero; Hidalgo; Jalisco; Michoacán; Morelos; Nayarit; Nuevo León; Oaxaca; Puebla; Querétaro; San Luis Potosí; Sinaloa; Sonora; Tabasco; Tamaulipas; Veracruz; Yucatán; Zacatecas

Geo region

Widespread across Mexico (multiple regions and biomes)

Terrain

Desert and dry shrubland on well drained sandy or rocky soils; widely cultivated on valley floors and gentle slopes

Mezcal use

Main cultivated mezcal agave; 6-8 year maturity; very widely planted

Producers

Ilegal Mezcal, Real Minero, Mezcal Vago, Paquera, QuiQuiRiQui, El Jolgorio, The Producer, Victorioso, Mezcal de Leyendas, Lalocura, Grulani, Mezcal Colores, Erstwhile, Dixeebe Mezcal, Lamata