Updated June 2026.
Mezcal taste is not a NOM-070 class. Certified mezcal is 35–55% ABV. The norm sets three process categories — Mezcal, Mezcal Artesanal, Mezcal Ancestral — and six classes, including joven, reposado, and añejo. Drinkers often cite smoke or cooked agave; pit-roast is process language, not a legal type. Typical US bottles print 40%. A 1.5-ounce pour at 40% is one NIAAA drink.
Related: mezcal vs tequila strength, tequila taste, cheap mezcal labels.
Class vs pour
| Language | 1.5 oz drinks |
|---|---|
| NOM-070 ABV | From labeled ABV |
| Categories | — |
| Classes | — |
| “Smoky” | — |
| Typical US bottle | 1.00 |
A 750 mL 40% bottle is about 17 drinks. Four pours are four drinks. Pour math: tequila drinks.
Sources
- NOM-070-SCFI-2016: 35–55%; three categories; six classes. 27 CFR 5.148 agave spirits.
- Typical US 40%. NIAAA December 2025. Taste adjectives are not a legal type.