the library

Mezcal

Spirits & brews· spirit

What it is

Mezcal is a Mexican spirit distilled from the cooked, roasted core of various agave species, most often in small batches.

What it tastes like

On the nose: phenol, whiskey, dry, pear. Among its measured molecules: o-ethylphenol, 2-methylbenzofuran, ethyl 3-furoate, orthocresol, 2-acetylfuran.

Every one of its 15 compounds carries a paper the library can cite.

• acetic acidaromaacidreads as pungent (PubChem)Measured in 37 of 341 ingredients.cite

  detected in 80% of samples; literature descriptor 'Sour vinegar' — Lazo et al. 2025, Foods (Table 6, Acids block, row 'Acetic acid')
• 1-butanolaromaalcoholreads as dry, burning taste (PubChem)Measured in 13 of 341 ingredients.cite

  detected in 80% of samples; literature descriptor 'Wine, fermented' — Lazo et al. 2025, Foods (Table 6, Alcohols block, row 'Butanol')
• orthocresolaromaphenolreads as phenolic (PubChem)Measured in 5 of 341 ingredients.cite

  detected in 100% of samples; literature descriptor 'Smoke' — Lazo et al. 2025, Foods (Table 6, Phenols block, row 'o-Cresol')
• 1-propanolaromaalcoholreads as burning taste (PubChem)Measured in 23 of 341 ingredients.cite

  87.08-212.99 mg/L across the nine artisanal mezcals — Sánchez-Fernández et al. 2025, Foods (Table 3, row '1-propanol')
• isobutanolaromaalcoholreads as sweet, musty (PubChem)Measured in 24 of 341 ingredients.cite

  370.53-720.22 mg/L across the nine artisanal mezcals — Sánchez-Fernández et al. 2025, Foods (Table 3, row '2-methyl-1-propanol')
• o-ethylphenolaromaphenolreads as phenol (PubChem)Measured in 1 of 341 ingredients.cite

  detected in 100% of samples; literature descriptor 'Woody/smoky' — Lazo et al. 2025, Foods (Table 6, Phenols block, row 'o-Ethylphenol')
• furfuralaromafuranreads as almond (PubChem)Measured in 34 of 341 ingredients.cite

  detected in 100% of samples; literature descriptor 'Caramel' — Lazo et al. 2025, Foods (Table 6, Furans block, row 'Furfural')
• 1,1-diethoxyethanearomaetherreads as whiskey taste (PubChem)Measured in 8 of 341 ingredients.cite

  40.63-205.61 mg/L across the nine artisanal mezcals — Sánchez-Fernández et al. 2025, Foods (Table 3, row 'Acetaldehyde diethyl acetal')
• ethyl acetatearomaesterreads as fragrant (PubChem)Measured in 43 of 341 ingredients.cite

  detected in 30% of samples; literature descriptor 'Fruity anise' — Lazo et al. 2025, Foods (Table 6 (Volatile compounds detected via GC-MS), Esters block, row 'Ethyl Acetate')
• 5-methylfurfuralaromafuranMeasured in 10 of 341 ingredients.cite

  detected in 100% of samples; literature descriptor 'Caramel' — Lazo et al. 2025, Foods (Table 6, Furans block, row '5-MethyIfurfural' (the paper prints a capital I in place of the l))
• 2-acetylfuranaromafuranMeasured in 7 of 341 ingredients.cite

  detected in 100% of samples; literature descriptor 'Balsamic' — Lazo et al. 2025, Foods (Table 6, Furans block, row '2-Acetylfuran')
• 2-methylbenzofuranaromafuranMeasured in 1 of 341 ingredients.cite

  detected in 100% of samples; literature descriptor 'Burnt' — Lazo et al. 2025, Foods (Table 6, Furans block, row 'Benzofuran, 2-methyl-')
• isoamyl acetatearomaesterreads as pear (PubChem)Measured in 26 of 341 ingredients.cite

  detected in 100% of samples; literature descriptor 'Banana' — Lazo et al. 2025, Foods (Table 6, Esters block, row 'Isoamyl acetate')
• ethyl 3-furoatearomaesterMeasured in 1 of 341 ingredients.cite

  detected in 100% of samples; literature descriptor 'Burnt smoky' — Lazo et al. 2025, Foods (Table 6, Furans block, row 'Ethyl 3-furoate')