Eber Villalobos has been in the mezcal trade for 11 years. He’s using his experience for a genuinely excellent mezcal- no overblown hype; just the real thing. Eber first worked in Silacoyoapam in the mountainous Mizteca, where he sources his wild papalometl (agave cupreata) but has moved to a notably well-run distillery in Santiago Matatlan. Observe how clean the place is: being meticulous tends to mean great product.
Mezcal focused on the rare wild agave cupreata, called papalometl where Animas sources it. Animas distills a 100% papalometl, a truly gorgeous espadín, and a rich ensamble of the two. Everything is done as it should be, or better. This is great mezcal.
Check out the logo. Animas is Spanish for “souls”; below it, Spanish for “spirit liquified”. Purifying and concentrating the soul of the agave, its spirit, is what great distillation is about. There’s a reason distilled spirits are called “spirits”.