Why “Destilado de Agave” Is Not a Lesser Spirit

Four of Gota Gorda’s five UK expressions are labelled destilado de agave rather than mezcal. This is not because they are inferior. It is because Mexico’s regulatory framework, while well-intentioned, sometimes draws lines that do not align with quality.

The Regulation

To be labelled “mezcal,” a spirit must be certified by the Consejo Regulador del Mezcal (CRM). This involves compliance with the mezcal NOM (Norma Oficial Mexicana), which specifies production standards, geographic requirements, and labelling rules. The certification process involves fees, inspections, paperwork, and a timeline that many small producers find burdensome, expensive, or philosophically at odds with how they work.

Spirits produced outside the nine states of the denomination of origin — even if made from agave, using traditional methods, by experienced mezcaleros — cannot be called mezcal regardless of their quality. And within the nine states, producers who choose not to certify (for financial, philosophical, or practical reasons) must label their spirits as destilado de agave or destilado de maguey.

The Reality

Some of the most exceptional agave spirits in Mexico are labelled destilado de agave. They are made by the same families, using the same methods, from the same agave, in the same palenques as certified mezcals. The difference is a piece of paper and a fee — not the liquid in the bottle.

Felipe Garcia’s expressions for Gota Gorda are produced in Oaxaca using traditional artisanal methods. They are extraordinary spirits by any measure. The label reads destilado de agave because the certification process for these specific batches was not completed. That is an administrative fact, not a quality judgement.

What to Look For

Rather than relying on regulatory labels alone, look for the information that actually matters: the agave species, the maestro mezcalero, the production method, the batch size, the region, and the ABV. A bottle that gives you all of this information — as every Gota Gorda bottle does, in handwritten detail — is telling you everything you need to know about what is inside.

Certification has its place. It protects consumers from fraudulent products and provides a quality floor. But it is not a quality ceiling, and the absence of certification does not mean the absence of quality. Some of the best producers in Mexico operate partially or entirely outside the certification system. As a drinker, your palate is a better guide than a label.