Derrumbes San Luis Potosi

Lot 54. This is one of my first mezcals. took me a while to get over the stench upon opening the bottle. I actually was dissapointed at first – it was too funky, rotten and intense. I had it with a bit of ice and that opened up the flavours so much. in the next days I started sipping it neat and everything mellowd down and I got really comfortable with it.
I’m not great with describing tastes and flavours but I can just say I ended up cherishing every last drop of this bottle. probably fell in love with mezcal 🙂

Lote 27, 11/19, Artesanal, 44.4%

Nose: green, raw green pepper, padron peppers, jalapenos, big bunches of spearmint and peppermint. Mild sweetness, drop of lemon juice and white pepper, a little barn/manure funk? This is really aromatic, not massively complex but very nice.

Palate: nice arrival, lovely perceptual sweetness, candied padron peppers, gently smoky, earthy. Very good full coating texture. A little cream cheese, more of that mint, remains pleasantly sweet, savoury, earthy, with a slight citric and mineral grip, going on quite long. Can take a drop of water but pretty much perfect at strength.

Comment: price on this is creeping up but at €38 this was a steal and it remains very good at a slightly higher price. Not super complex but a lot of character and very drinkable! Another winner from Derrumbes.

Well, this is my first taste of a mezcal from San Luis Potosi. After reading the prior reviews, I was a bit fearful as to what I was going to encounter. Luckily, my take is completely different. I liked it, and a lot. For a few minutes, I searched my tasting data banks to recall what it reminded me of . . . . (was it jalapeno peppers: no) (was it cheese, whether blue or ‘gorgonzola’ : no) instead this agave distillate reminded me most of gentiane (an alpine plant) liqueurs like Suze and Aveze! Very complex, with an earthy, chalky character, almost a caraway seed and licorice influence, but with a definite gentiane (also found in Chartreuse) quality. Very groovy! I am a fan!

Wow, what a burst of jalapeño and cheese — both on the nose and on the palate. Serrano-wrapped dates, pine needles without the bitterness, sourdough white bread on the finish. I seriously love this, if I catch a bottle at some point I’d love to elaborate on the tasting notes. The reflex you get is to quit whatever conversation you had, then sit down in a corner and just explore this mezcal in quiet contemplation.

LOT 45 Dec. 2020, seems an exclusive batch for La maison du whisky:
I got my bottle! It needs time to improve the smell, but flavours are just as fascinating as that unknown batch above. Jalapeños, green bell pepper, sautéed chayotes, a hint of Serrano ham, figues rather than dates. Less lactic than the previous batch, rather 3% fat yoghurt than cheese, and a bit more grassy aftertaste. More vegetal and herbal generally, but that could change over time after opening the bottle. It lacks a bit of structure and aftertaste for a full score, but what a fascinating mezcal it is. You could try to imagine an ensamble of tepeztate, arroqueno, funky raicilla and a savoury pechuga (less of that last note in batch 45).

Lote A35(200ML)
I feel like salmianas are a ‘love it or hate it’ agave. This one is delicious though, so guess I like them somewhat.
Strong smell & tastes of jalapeños & olive brine. Taste includes, but not limited to, honey, rotten fruit, bruised peaches, jalapeño poppers, and more. Complex and unique, and yet at least in my group, polarizing. I’ll probably upgrade this 200ml flask to a full bottle here soon. Great bottle to introduce to new mezcal curious friends, as it shows how crazy different and complex mezcal can be (as Rakhal also pointed out). More like 4.25
Review #107.

Lot 21, 05/19, Bottle 1154/1750. 43.9% abv

First off, the nose. Insane levels of jalapeño, freshly cut, focusing on the green flesh here. possibly something pickled. By something, we can only mean a jalapeño. Jalapeño in many forms I’d say.
The jalapeño doesn’t go anywhere when you start drinking. Maybe a bit of that bison grass vodka. a bit salty. As it sits in my cup, some hard aged cheese notes come out on the nose. the pickle idea turns to brine, and olives take center stage.
Comes out to a tune I don’t love, but give it some air and that one note goes on to add a few more. Definitely not sad to have a 750 of this

Lote A35/ Botella#2616, Destilado 03/2020.
?-clear
?- drying impact.
Aromas of ripe funky fruit, papaya, mango, sweet potato, cooked maguey quiote, guava wax, lemon, animal & floral honey, skittles mix.
Adequate and complex production; average plus length, ordinary character.
?-coating effect, smooth sufficient alcohol; light medium body.
Primary sweet , lightly sour taste, buttery smoothness.
Flavors of cosmetics and perfume, floral, tropical, lemon and lime peel, guava & starfruit, honey, skittles mix.
Medium plus concentration, slightly complex plus, correct slightly bold balance.
Straightforward very long finish.
Very Good overall impression.

Disliked the artificial cosmetic and perfume aromas in mouth. Overall balanced.

Learn more about organoleptic evaluation at the International Wine & Spirits Guild’s seminar in Fine Spirits,
or more on Agave Spirits certifications through the Agave Spirits Institute.