Origin & craft

Espadín vs. Tepeztate: two agaves, two timelines, two flavors

By Adrián Villalba · 3 min read

In short

Espadín and Tepeztate are two very different Oaxacan agaves. Espadín (Agave angustifolia) is farmed and matures in about 7 or 8 years; it's the base of most mezcal. Tepeztate (Agave marmorata) is wild, grows on rocky slopes and takes many more years. That difference in time shows up in the flavor, the supply and the price.

Quick comparison

	Espadín	Tepeztate
Scientific name	Agave angustifolia	Agave marmorata
Source	Farmed (also found wild)	Wild
Maturity	About 7 years (Martínez-Jiménez et al., 2019); at ZUNTE, 8 years	At ZUNTE, 15 years (Gold) and 18 years (Swarovski®)
Where it grows	Fields and hillsides	Rocky slopes and ravines
Supply	High	Low
Typical profile	Herbal, citrus, roasted-agave sweetness, smoke	Intensely herbal, green, earthy, spicy

Espadín: the agave that carries mezcal

It's Oaxaca's most widely used agave thanks to its yield and high sugar content: one study placed it among the species with the most total reducing sugars (25.5%) of those it analyzed (Martínez-Jiménez et al., 2019). Being farmed makes it possible to plan harvests and protect the resource.

Tepeztate: wild patience

It grows on its own on tough terrain, with no irrigation or farming. It has to be found, left to mature and harvested by hand. That's why Tepeztate mezcals tend to be scarce and pricier, and why using it responsibly matters: a plant that took decades to grow can't be replaced in a season.

Why blend them?

An ensamble blends agaves to reach a profile none of them gives alone. Espadín brings body, sweetness and balance; Tepeztate brings herbal complexity and a wilder character.

How it applies to ZUNTE

Product	Agaves	Age
ZUNTE	High-altitude Espadín, 100%	8 years
ZUNTE Gold	Wild Tepeztate + Espadín	15 and 8 years
ZUNTE Swarovski	Wild Tepeztate + Espadín	18 and 8 years

Classic ZUNTE shows Espadín at its purest: herbal, citrus, light smoke. ZUNTE Gold and ZUNTE Swarovski add wild Tepeztate for a more complex profile, with deep herbal notes and a touch of smoke.

FAQ

What's the difference between Espadín and Tepeztate?

Espadín is farmed and matures in about 7–8 years; Tepeztate is wild and takes much longer. Tepeztate gives a more intense herbal profile and is scarcer.

Why is Tepeztate mezcal more expensive?

It's wild, takes many years to mature and must be harvested by hand on difficult terrain.

Which agave does ZUNTE use?

ZUNTE is 100% 8-year Espadín. ZUNTE Gold and ZUNTE Swarovski are blends of wild Tepeztate (15 and 18 years) with Espadín.