Mezcal's Many Faces

The IWSC’s 2025 results reveal a spirit category thriving on diversity. With 42 medals awarded across mezcals ranging from classic espadíns to inventive new expressions, this year’s tasting showed how mezcal’s strength lies in its many faces, each bottle a different story of varietal, technique, or terroir.

A celebration of varietals

For Spirits Judging Committee member Deano Moncrieffe, mezcal was a standout of the competition: “The mezcal category was probably my favourite to judge this year, because there was just huge variety of flavours. What was interesting is actually different plant varietals that you could see - it was very evident there were different plant varietals all the way through. That’s increased in the last couple of years”.

That diversity was reflected at the top of the medal table. Espadín Artesanal Joven Mezcal(Madre Mezcal, 96 points) earned Gold for its balance and clarity, while Tobalá Mezcal Artesanal (Del Maguey Single Village, 95 points) demonstrated the depth of less common agaves. Ensamble bottlings also impressed, with Ensamble Artesanal Joven Mezcal (Madre Mezcal) awarded Gold Outstanding at 98 points.

Tradition meets modernity 

What makes mezcal unique is not just its ingredients but its production methods. Moncrieffe highlighted the role of artisanal and ancestral processes: “With ancestral mezcal, production is very traditional - from the distillation to the fermentation vessels, everything has to be very specific, very time consuming, and mainly done in small batches”.

The medal winners showcased this respect for heritage alongside a willingness to innovate. Ancestral Pechuga Mole Mezcal(Espíritu Montaraz, 98 points) brought ritual and flavour together in a traditional style, while Destilado Con Café Mezcal (Dangerous Don, 98 points) offered a bold reinterpretation that resonated with judges. This balance of old and new is defining mezcal’s trajectory.

Not every bottle was straightforward to judge - and that was part of the excitement. As Antony Moss MW explained: “The Artisanal mezcal casued the most discussion amonsgt the panel, as it should! There were some examples that were classic, expressive and easy to agree on a medal. But a few were organoleptically so far out of the box that it was challenging… I love that there are such diverse and boundary-pushing flavours in this category.”

A spirit with global momentum

While rooted firmly in Mexico, mezcal’s appeal is expanding worldwide. “There’s huge potential for mezcal to become even bigger in the UK. It’s just growing so much every year… the huge variety really resonates with consumers and with bartenders” noted Moncrieffe.

Gold medals for El Recuerdo Mezcal Abocado Con Gusano (Mezcales Casa Armando, 95 points) and Vago by Emigdio Jarquin Espadín Mezcal (Samson & Surrey, 95 points) underline how mezcal’s mix of authenticity and character travels well, appealing to both traditionalists and adventurous drinkers.

The 2025 IWSC results confirm that mezcal’s identity cannot be pinned down to one style, one varietal, or one technique. Its many faces - from espadín to tobalá, from ancestral to innovative - are exactly what give it momentum. For drinkers and buyers, mezcal offers a category where every bottle tells a different story, and where the future looks as excitingly diverse as its past.

See the full list of medal winners below.

Entry name	Award	Score	Producer	Style
400 Conejos Reposado Mezcal	Gold Outstanding	98	Proximo Spirits	Single Varietal
Ancestral Pechuga Mole Mezcal	Gold Outstanding	98	Espiritu Montaraz	Pechuga
Destilado Con Café Mezcal	Gold Outstanding	98	Dangerous Don	Pechuga
Ensamble Artesanal Joven Mezcal	Gold Outstanding	98	Madre Mezcal	Ensamble
Espadin Artesanal Joven Mezcal	Gold	96	Madre Mezcal	Single Varietal
400 Conejos Anejo Mezcal	Gold	95	Proximo Spirits	Single Varietal
Ajal Blanco Mezcal Artesanal	Gold	95	Diamante Mezcalero	Single Varietal
Artesano Joven Mezcal	Gold	95	San Cosme	Single Varietal
Contraluz Artesanal Cristalino Reposado Mezcal	Gold	95	Casa Lumbre	Single Varietal
El Recuerdo Mezcal Abocado Con Gusano	Gold	95	Mezcales Casa Armando S.A. de C.V.	Single Varietal
El Viejo Joven Artesanal Mezcal	Gold	95	Mezcal Unión	Ensamble
Espadin Mezcal	Gold	95	The Lost Explorer Mezcal Company	Single Varietal
Los Muertos Joven Artesanal Mezcal	Gold	95	Los Muertos Spirits GmbH	Single Varietal
Salmiana Mezcal	Gold	95	The Lost Explorer Mezcal Company	Single Varietal
Tobala Mezcal	Gold	95	The Lost Explorer Mezcal Company	Single Varietal
Tobalá Mezcal Artesanal	Gold	95	Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal	Single Varietal
Ultra Premium Artesanal Reposado Mezcal	Gold	95	Bandida	Single Varietal
Uno Joven Artesanal Mezcal	Gold	95	Mezcal Unión	Ensamble
Vago by Emigdio Jarquin Espadin Mezcal	Gold	95	Samson & Surrey	Single Varietal
400 Conejos Cuishe Mezcal	Silver	93	Proximo Spirits	Ensamble
400 Conejos Espadin Joven Mezcal	Silver	93	Proximo Spirits	Single Varietal
400 Conejos Tobala Joven Artesanal Mezcal	Silver	93	Proximo Spirits Inc	Ensamble
Vago by Tio Rey Ensamble En Barro Mezcal	Silver	93	Samson & Surrey	Ensamble
Chichicapa Mezcal Artesanal	Silver	92	Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal	Single Varietal
Creyente Cuishe Artesanal Mezcal	Silver	92	Proximo Spirits Inc	Single Varietal
Creyente Espadin Artesanal Mezcal	Silver	92	Proximo Spirits	Single Varietal
Creyente Tobala Artesanal Mezcal	Silver	92	Proximo Spirits Inc	Single Varietal
Zacal Ensamble Joven Artesanal Mezcal	Silver	92	Terroir Spirits	Ensamble
Espadín Joven Artesanal Mezcal	Silver	91	Piedre Almas	Single Varietal
Number 2 Agave Spirit	Silver	91	Chacolo	Single Varietal
Recuerdo Joven Mezcal	Silver	91	Mezcales Casa Armando S.A. de C.V.	Single Varietal
Vago by Hijos de Aquilino Garcia Elote Mezcal	Silver	91	Samson & Surrey	Single Varietal
Zacal Manso Sahuayo Joven Artesanal Mezcal	Silver	91	Terroir Spirits	Single Varietal
Artesanal Espadin Joven Mezcal	Silver	90	Espiritu Montaraz	Single Varietal
Rosaluna Mezcal	Silver	90	Hecho en Mexico Santiago Matalan	Single Varietal
Vago by Joel Barriga Espadín Mezcal	Silver	90	Samson & Surrey	Single Varietal
La Puritita Verdá Joven Artesanal Mezcal	Bronze	89	Piedre Almas	Single Varietal
Señorío Joven Mezcal	Bronze	89	Mezcales Casa Armando	Single Varietal
Zignum Reposado Mezcal	Bronze	89	Mezcales Casa Armando S.A. de C.V.	Single Varietal
Señorío Reposado Mezcal	Bronze	88	Mezcales Casa Armando S.A. de C.V.	Single Varietal
Ultra Premium Cristal Artesanal Mezcal	Bronze	88	Bandida	Single Varietal
Zignum Cristalino Mezcal	Bronze	87	Mezcales Casa Armando S.A. de C.V.	Single Varietal