Mezcal is a broad category. Small stills dot places like Oaxaca, Mexico — where there can be massive variation in taste, texture, and quality from one still to the next (let alone one distillery to the next). And that’s before you get to the mezcal made in other states across Mexico. The true quality of a great mezcal really comes down to who is making the juice (the mezcalero), the process they’re using, and the people putting the mezcal together for bottling.