The Lost Explorer introduces its Reserva del Maestro series with a wild agave bang.
Founded by David de Rothschild and Thor Björgólfsson in 2020, The Lost Explorer is a tequila and mezcal company dedicated to additive-free and sustainably produced spirits. In addition to its core mezcals made from Espadín, Tobalá, and Salmiana agave, TLE introduced Reserva del Maestro in 2024, a limited edition mezcal artesanal distilled by veteran Mezcalero Don Fortino Ramos.
To create this mezcal, Ramos distilled Madre Cuishe, a naturally grown agave indigenous to Oaxaca, at The Lost Laboratory, the company’s ‘palenque’ in San an Pablo Huixtepec, Oaxaca; this inaugural release in this ongoing series is bottled at 90 proof (45% ABV) and available at $120 MSRP.
“This is my favorite to date because it challenged me as a Maestro Mezcalero, pushing me to bring out the very best in both the agave and in me.”
— Maestro Mezcalero, Don Fortino Ramos, The Lost Explorer
What's In The Bottle?
The aforementioned Madre Cuishe agave used in distillation here was aged for 12 years. Ramos employed two methods of cooking the agave. The first batch was roasted in conical earthen ovens for approximately 72 hours. The next portion was steamed in brick ovens for 24 hours. The agave is fermented naturally in open-air wooden vats and is double-distilled in copper alembic pots.
How Does It Taste?
Company tasting notes promise fresh herbs, pine nuts, peaches, and apple and apple aromas. Flavors include butter, peanuts, and almonds, with hints of orange peel, capped with a long, sweet, earthy finish.
John McCarthy is a spirit, travel, and lifestyle journalist, managing editor, and author of The Modern Gentleman and Whiskey Rebels: The Dreamers, Visionaries & Badasses Who Are Revolutionizing American Whiskey. McCarthy is also editor of Barleycorn Drinks and Director of Judging of the John Barleycorn Awards.
