Our Mezcal
Balanced & Distinctive
A Refined Smoke that Shines Through
Master DIstiller:
Chip Tate, a whiskey maker that knows how to harness smoke
Origin:
Santa Ana del Rio, Oaxaca, Mexico (Single sourced from one palenque)
Agave:
Espadín
ABV:
46%
Proof:
92
Tasting Notes:
Roasted agave, grilled honeydew, grapefruit zest, roasted peppercorn, salinity, and balanced smoke.
The Process: Artesanal & Innovative
Espadín agaves are machete-chopped, tahona-crushed, fire-roasted, and then distilled over open-wood flame using traditional methods.
Machete Chopped
Tahona Crushed
Pit-Fire Roasted
Pit-Fire Roasted
With Local Encino Wood
Fermented
Distilled Over Open Wood Flame
Santa Ana Del Rio, Oaxaca
The Terroir:
Crafted From The Earth
Handcrafted in the small mountain town of Santa Ana del Río, Oaxaca — for a Mezcal defined by its highland terroir, and distinct, complex flavor.
The Roast:
A Low & Slow Transformation
Our agave is pit-roasted with local Encino wood, a slow-burning oak that gives Penumbra its balanced and smooth finish.
The Master Distiller:
A Passion For Craft
Chip Tate is a visionary Master Distiller whose work has helped redefine modern American whiskey and continues to push the boundaries of craft spirits.
A two-time Whisky Magazine Icon Award recipient and Craft Whisky Distiller of the Year (2012, 2014), Tate first gained international recognition as the founder of Balcones Distilling, where he helped define the American Single Malt category. He also created Brimstone, widely regarded as one of the first wood-smoked American whisky, with Brimstone Resurrection earning World’s Best American Whisky at the 2014 World Whisky Awards.
Tate’s passion for agave began in 2017 with his first mezcal distillation. That work is inspired by time spent at Bruichladdich in 2008, where Jim McEwan helped deepen Tate’s understanding of smoky spirits and how smoke evolves through maturation.
Since joining Foley Family Wines & Spirits as Master Distiller for Innovation in 2024, Tate has expanded his influence across categories, advancing whiskey projects such as Gambit No. 6 and Ampersand while traveling to Mexico monthly to distill and produce Penumbra Mezcal.
Across distillation, blending, and finishing, Tate continues to shape the future of craft spirits.
