Is mezcal stronger than tequila?

Not always. Both tequila and mezcal commonly sit around 40% ABV (80 proof), though some artisanal mezcals can be higher proof. Mezcal may taste stronger because of its smoky character.

Many mezcals are smoky because the agave is roasted in underground pit ovens over wood and charcoal, which can create a signature smoke flavor.

Is tequila made from mezcal?

No. Tequila and mezcal are both agave spirits, but tequila is a regulated category made only from Blue Weber agave in approved regions, while mezcal can use many agave varieties and methods.

What’s better for margaritas: tequila or mezcal?

Tequila is the classic choice for a clean, bright Margarita. Mezcal makes a bolder, smoky Margarita if you want more depth.

Is mezcal always smoky?

No. Smoke levels vary by producer and method. Some mezcals are lightly smoky, while others are more intense.

What does “100% agave” mean?

It means the spirit is made entirely from agave sugars with no added sugars—generally a sign of higher quality tequila.

Why Whisky From the Same Distillery Can Taste Completely Different

You find two bottles of Scotch from the same distillery. They were distilled in the same year. They're even the same age.

So they should taste almost identical, right?

Not necessarily.

Whisky is shaped by much more than the distillery name printed on the label. The individual cask, maturation, finishing, warehouse conditions, bottling strength, and even slight differences between barrels can send two whiskies in completely different directions.

One of the best ways to see this for yourself is through the Duncan Taylor Octave Collection, where individual casks allow whisky drinkers to experience just how much variation can exist within a single distillery. Find Good Spirits currently carries multiple Octave releases from the same distilleries—including separate Caol Ila, Drumblade, North British, and other casks.

👉 Explore the Duncan Taylor Octave Collection

The Distillery Is Only the Beginning

A distillery creates the foundation of a whisky.

Its ingredients, fermentation, still design, distillation methods, and production choices all contribute to a recognizable house character.

But after distillation, the spirit begins another journey.

It enters the cask.

And that's where two whiskies that started in very similar places can begin moving apart.

Every Cask Has Its Own Personality

No two oak casks are completely identical.

Differences in the wood, previous contents, toast or char, age of the cask, and maturation environment can all affect the spirit resting inside.

One barrel might emphasize:

Vanilla • Honey • Orchard fruit • Caramel

Another could lean toward:

Dried fruit • Dark chocolate • Baking spice • Rich oak

And another might allow the distillery's original character to remain much more prominent.

This is why the cask number on a single-cask whisky matters.

It identifies a whisky with its own individual maturation history.

The Duncan Taylor Octaves Make This Easy to See

Duncan Taylor's Octave series is particularly interesting because the whiskies undergo additional maturation in small Octave casks.

An Octave is approximately one-eighth the size of a traditional sherry butt. Duncan Taylor explains that the smaller size increases interaction between spirit, wood and air, allowing the finishing cask to noticeably influence the whisky.

That means you're tasting both the original character of the spirit and the influence of a very active finishing cask.

The result can make each individual release remarkably distinctive.

A Perfect Example: Two Caol Ila Octaves

Right now, the Octave Collection offers a particularly good example.

Find Good Spirits lists two Caol Ila 2008 16 Year Old Octaves:

Cask #4045057 — 53.8% ABV

and

Cask #4045036 — 54.7% ABV.

Look at how similar those specifications are.

Same distillery.

Same 2008 vintage.

Same 16-year age statement.

Same Duncan Taylor Octave series.

Yet they are two individual casks with different cask numbers and different bottling strengths.

And that's exactly why whisky gets interesting.

Same Caol Ila. Different Cask. Different Experience.

Caol Ila is known for the smoky, maritime character associated with Islay whisky, and those characteristics remain part of the foundation.

But an individual cask can push that foundation in a different direction.

For example, Cask #4045036 is bottled at 54.7% ABV and is described with peat smoke, liquorice, black pepper, apple, salted nuts, smoked bacon, salted caramel and sherry influence.

Cask #4045057, meanwhile, is bottled at 53.8% ABV and is another individual 2008 Caol Ila release selected for Duncan Taylor's Octave range.

That's the beauty of single-cask whisky.

You're not simply asking:

"What does Caol Ila taste like?"

You're asking:

"What did this particular Caol Ila cask become?"

Age Doesn't Tell the Whole Story Either

Age statements are important, but they're only one part of the picture.

Two 16-year-old whiskies don't necessarily mature in exactly the same way.

The type and activity of the oak matter.

So does the finishing cask.

That's why an older whisky isn't automatically richer, smokier, sweeter, or more complex than a younger one.

Time matters. But what happens during that time matters just as much.

ABV Can Change the Experience

Bottling strength is another factor.

Higher-strength whisky can deliver aromas and flavors with greater intensity, while adding a few drops of water can reveal characteristics that weren't immediately obvious.

The two Caol Ila examples demonstrate this nicely.

One sits at 53.8% ABV, while the other is 54.7% ABV.

That difference may look small on paper, but when combined with the individuality of each cask, it becomes another part of what makes each release unique.

This Is Why Single-Cask Whisky Is So Much Fun

Core-range whisky is often created around consistency.

When you buy another bottle, the producer generally wants it to resemble the bottle you purchased before.

Single-cask whisky celebrates almost the opposite idea.

Variation is part of the experience.

One cask may be fruitier.

Another may be spicier.

Another may show more oak.

Another may emphasize smoke or maritime character.

None necessarily has to be "better."

They're simply different expressions of what whisky from that distillery can become.

Try the Experiment Yourself

If you really want to understand the influence of the cask, tasting two releases from the same distillery side-by-side is one of the most interesting experiments you can do.

Pour a small amount of each.

Start with the nose.

Look for differences in fruit, sweetness, oak and smoke.

Then taste them.

Finally, add a few drops of water and compare them again.

Suddenly, the numbers printed on the labels—cask number, ABV, age and vintage—start to mean something.

They're not just technical specifications.

They're clues to what's inside the glass.

Discover the Duncan Taylor Octave Collection

That's one of the reasons we love the Octave series.

It allows whisky drinkers to go beyond simply discovering different distilleries and start discovering different casks from those distilleries.

And because these are individual releases, once a particular cask sells through, that exact whisky isn't something that can simply be reproduced.

If you've ever wondered how much difference one cask can really make, the Octave Collection is a great place to find out.

🥃 Same Distillery. Different Cask. Completely Different Story.

👉 Shop the Duncan Taylor Octave Collection at Find Good Spirits

Availability varies by cask and is subject to change. Please enjoy responsibly.

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