Cinco Sentidos Jabali is made by maestro mezcalero Alberto Martinez, whose palenque is lodged into the side of a mountain at about 6,500 ft above sea level.
About this destilado de agave
5 Sentidos Jabali is made in small batches of 20-90 liters. The 2nd batch of this in the US was distilled from 193 mature Jabali piñas that were wild-harvested from up to 10,000 feet above sea level in the mountains of Santa Catarina Albarradas, Oaxaca. The piñas were cooked together in an underground oven before being hand mashed by master distiller Alberto Martinez and his son in-law Reinaldo. After the mash, the cooked agave was left to ferment in stone tanks with spring water and ground “encino de agua,” a type of nitrogen-rich tree bark that helps stabilize the fermentation at such cold weather. The result is a decadent, complex spirit that channels flavors and aromas of the rocky cliff sides where these wild agave were harvested. There have been several Jabali batches imported and all are produced in a similar fashion. Read about our visit with maestro mezcalero Alberto Martinez in the blog post Cinco Sentidos and El Destilado
Notable batches:
- JB01 – 84-liters
- AV01 – 20-liters released to Chicago’s The Aviary.
5 Sentidos
5 Sentidos is named after the five senses that their mezcaleros use to produce their agave spirits. The producers of this mezcal do not use any model machinery or tools, being guided only by their senses throughout the production process. The brand was launched by El Destilado restaurant in centro Oaxaca. The restaurant is known for it's creative menu, unique cocktails, and exception agave spirits. The brand is a curated tour of Mexico with a wide range of expressions that are made by some of the best mezcaleros in the region. Cinco Sentidos is uncertified mezcal and is labeled as "Destilado de Agave".
A note about the bottle shape: The short round bottles are the US release bottles. In other areas of distribution (e.g. Mexico, Canada, Japan) the bottles are the taller Bordelaise shape.
Learn more about 5 Sentidos:
- Cinco Sentidos and El Destilado on Mezcal Reviews
- Santa María Ixcatlán: Rawhide Fermentation with Amando Alvarez on Mezcal Reviews
- What's in A Name? on the K&L Wines Spirits Journal blog
Review this bottle
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El-Dawg
115 reviewsJA03-18
Tastes a bit mellow, woody, little bubblegum, some leather, and a minty finish. Some chlorine on the smell, with ethanol. Bit light to my liking. I wanted to rate this batch higher, but I just can’t.
2oz sample, so maybe improves over time with a whole bottle as others pointed out?
Review #75
Squashplayer
34 reviewsBatch 3, 2018. Beautiful aromas of papaya and ripe pears! I can enjoy the nose on this all day. Very nice mouthfeel with fresh fruit, new leather and a faint whisper of wet earth on the finish. Opens up nicely in the glass with some time. Has definitely improved since I first opened the bottle a number of months ago
razorbackmike
126 reviewsvery unique.after reading the reviews i couldnt wait to try this one.the nose was very sweet like candy but it outperformed the palate.dont get me wrong.this was very tasty but didnt blow my hair back (though i dont have much hair left these days).the texture was light and watery.the palate was VERY vegetal with pickle and prickly pear.slight agave sweetness and good smoke on the finish.the taste didnt match the nose but the unique quality was enough to earn 4 stars.perhaps time will bring out more flavors.
very unique.after reading the reviews i couldnt wait to try this one.the nose was very sweet like candy but it outperformed the palate.dont get me wrong.this was very tasty but didnt blow my hair back (though i dont have much hair left these days).the texture was light and watery.the palate was VERY vegetal with pickle and prickly pear.slight agave sweetness and good smoke on the finish.the taste didnt match the nose but the unique quality was enough to earn 4 stars.perhaps time will bring out m
TheAuditor
37 reviewsBatch: JA03-18
Nose: Fresh leather, green vegetalness, cumin, salt.
Palate: Lighter mouthfeel. Leather, salt, vegetables, mint, very faint clean smoke,
Finish: Medium length. Refreshing, salt, mint, leathery, vegetalness, clean smoke.
This feels pretty light in the mouth, but still managers to be full of flavor and refreshing. Savory vegetables and spices mix well with some light smoke and slight wood spice that make this a delicious drink. The leather that is present throughout makes this a very unique drink.
Batch: JA03-18
Nose: Fresh leather, green vegetalness, cumin, salt.
Palate: Lighter mouthfeel. Leather, salt, vegetables, mint, very faint clean smoke,
Finish: Medium length. Refreshing, salt, mint, leathery, vegetalness, clean smoke.
This feels pretty light in the mouth, but still managers to be full of flavor and refreshing. Savory vegetables and spices mix well with some light smoke and slight wood spice that make this a delicious drink. The leather that is present throughout makes this a ver
Tyler
480 reviewsThere is a lot of pressure to rate this one since it is currently the top-ranked “mezcal” on Mezcal Reviews. Have the admit though, this hits all the right notes. The nose is kind of starchy with lemon zest. On the palate, there is an interesting Fruit by the Foot note along with powdered sugar. The ABV (47.1%) hits this perfect level of tingling spice and balance. The flavors and aromas of this spirit remind me of my visit to Alberto’s palenque and watching the tree bark be chipped away by a group of family members to aid the fermentation. It is a unique Agave Jabali mezcal, but at the same time it has the familiar notes you’d expect, composed perfectly. Batch JB01, bottle 65/105.
There is a lot of pressure to rate this one since it is currently the top-ranked “mezcal” on Mezcal Reviews. Have the admit though, this hits all the right notes. The nose is kind of starchy with lemon zest. On the palate, there is an interesting Fruit by the Foot note along with powdered sugar. The ABV (47.1%) hits this perfect level of tingling spice and balance. The flavors and aromas of this spirit remind me of my visit to Alberto’s palenque and watching the tree bark be ch
DavidB
6 reviewsLove this mezcal… JB03…. smooth, light, wet, fresh, clean… I would like to add more jabali to my collection after purchasing this bottle
OscarR
4 reviewsShort tropical notes of pineapple and guava. Great richness to the texture.
justsomedude
17 reviewsIntense citrus and tropical fruit throughout. Has that nail polish note common to Jabali but totally inoffensive here. Perfectly balanced sweetness, acidity, fruit and agave flavor. Palate continues he citrus and tropical fruit plus habanero. A bit of burn but overall silky mouthfeel. Long finish of citrus rind and agave. 95/100
Cortez
12 reviewsJB02. Tasted at El Destilado in Oaxaca. Effortlessly good. Fruit forward and creamy. I didn’t find it as intense in flavor as some of my favorite jabalis, which was a little disappointing. Very balanced though. Little short on the finish, but still really so good. Lacking a wow factor for me. For the price in Oaxaca (about $50 usd), it would be an amazing everyday sipper though. If you try it, you won’t regret it.
GreenspointTexas
273 reviewsBest jabali ive ever had. Lotta stone fruit, some bubblegum, and a nice light herbal/mint finish
Would bang again…. glad i bought a bottle
COak
134 reviewsBatch#2 Felt compelled to give this 5 stars. Agreed with the prior reviews, this has to be one of the best Jabali I’ve ever had. It’s light, nice spearmint flavor but creamy and complex. I’ll be in the look out for this bottle.
Purchased batch #3, not as impressive as batch #2. Not quiet as complex and creamy. This is a bit thinner but still delicious. This 4 stars.
Jonny
523 reviewsBatch JB01. Bottle 65/105. So good! Alberto has this signature taste and scent that are just incredible. This one really shines. Aromas of green apples, cherries, raspberries, and freshly cut collard greens. This mezcal transports. Wet and fresh. The palate is amazing. Notes of prunes, dates, black olives, asparagus, and artichoke hearts. This is not a “typical Jabali” but it’s amazing.
Rakhal
317 reviewsJB-01. If I had only had a small taste of this I would have ranked it a little lower, luckily I have a whole bottle. This is one of those magical Mezcals that keeps changing with every sip. There are a lot of layers to this one. It has a creamy mouthfeel and is sweet, fruity, floral, and woody. There is a strong wood flavor that to me resembles oak. I’m also tasting roasted pineapple, bubblegum, jasmine, and crushed granite rock. I really want to do a blind tasting along with the Rey Campero, El Jolgorio, and Del Maguey Jabali.
JB-01. If I had only had a small taste of this I would have ranked it a little lower, luckily I have a whole bottle. This is one of those magical Mezcals that keeps changing with every sip. There are a lot of layers to this one. It has a creamy mouthfeel and is sweet, fruity, floral, and woody. There is a strong wood flavor that to me resembles oak. I’m also tasting roasted pineapple, bubblegum, jasmine, and crushed granite rock. I really want to do a blind tasting along with the Rey Campero,