According that the CRM, that is the official Entity that regulates Mezcal market in Mexico, Agave is the plant that is used to make Mezcal. For certified mezcal, the agave name is referring to the scientific name for the plant. The local names that are often used in various mezcal communities are known as Maguey.

Over 40 species are featured in different varieties of Mezcal. This more diverse use of agave, equals more diverse variation in flavor, aroma, and feel. The agave is important because it carries a good deal of the mezcal’s character. The agave provides the sugar, which interacts with the natural airborne yeasts in fermentation to create alcohol.

Flavors in finished mezcal can vary widely, depending on where the agave is grown and how the mezcal is made, so consider this a baseline guide.

Agave angustifolia

Names: bacanora, castilla, espadílla, espadín, pacifica, Weber blue agave

Regions: From Sonora across to Tamaulipas, all the way down to Costa Rica

Flavors: Can vary widely, depending where it’s grown, but generally, the roasted piñas are rich and reminiscent of baking spices and squash.

Agave potatorum

Names: papalome, papalometl, tobalá

Regions: Oaxaca and Puebla

Flavors: Tends to produce mezcal with sweeter, nutty and buttery flavors.

Agave karwinskii

Names: barril, bicuixe, cuixe, largo, madrecuixe, tobasiche

Regions: Southern Mexico, specifically Oaxaca

Flavors: Cuixe, largo and tobasiche grow quickly and produce fewer sugars, which offers bitter, coffee-like notes or tart/earthy flavors. Madrecuixe, bicuixe and barril grow more slowly and amass more sugar, which produce brighter, fruitier and sometimes nutty flavors.

Agave americana

Names: arroqueño, blanco, coyote, sierra negra

Regions: Grows widely in Mexico, with concentrations along the South Pacific coast

Flavors: Can vary drastically. Mezcal made from the diminutive agave coyote can be deep and dark, while those produced from agave arroqueño, the largest and slowest growing of the bunch, trend toward piquant and green notes. 

Agave durangensis

Names: blanco, cenizo, verde

Regions: Northern and Central Mexico, specifically the states of Durango and Zacatecas

Flavors: Earthy and mineral, which is indicative of the region’s arid climate.