Sombra Ensamble is the brand’s first-ever, limited edition “super premium” blend. Sombra Ensamble is a blend of mezcals distilled from wild Tepeztate (61%) and Tobalá (39%) magueyes harvested from high in the Oaxacan Sierra. The resulting spirit is 51.6% ABV. This batch is limited to 2,000 bottles total.
According to John Sean Fagan, Distiller and Director General of Sombra Mezcal, the company planted 20,000 Tobalá magueyes from seed and will replant them in the wild after two years of maturation to offset the 673 that were harvested for Sombra Ensamble.
Sombra Mezcal
Sombra is Spanish for "Shadow." The brand was started as a passion project of famed sommelier and wine aficionado Richard Betts. In March of 2017, Davos Brands acquired a controlling interest in the Sombra Mezcal brand. Richard Betts remains a minority equity holder and is the current Global Brand Ambassador.
In 2017, Sombra became one of a few mezcal brands that owns and operates its own palenque with a focus on environmentally friendly production methods. For example, the agaves are crushed with a solar-powered millstone instead of using donkeys as animal labor. Additionally, the Sombra Adobe Brick Project uses agave fibers left over from distillation to create upcycled bricks which are used to build homes for earthquake victims in Mexico.
