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.

Nose: Jalepeno poppers. Review over. (Jalepenos stuffed with crème cheese, wrapped in bacon, and cooked / grilled). This is the tail end of the bottle I’ve owned, and now it’s a little more floral and nopales-driven. The peppers still take center stage, with a lactic funky sweetness playing so well in between. Black peppercorn and bacon notes for the charry-savory element, though this wasn’t cooked in a smoke-driven process. Some light pineapple gone sour, oregano, and white corn on the edges of the popper profile.

Palate: Gentle entry that’s floral, with a wonderful midpalate that’s more agave driven and simplistic and pleasantly sweet. The finish is where the mild pepper sweetness comes to play with the cream cheese and light fatty char. Texture is nice, flavor is full enough, and it drinks well for its proof. Finish is there, but doesn’t linger with any off notes or stay in a way that’s overbearing.

Thoughts: What a stunner. For character and value, this is one of the most amazing spirits you could find in any shop, for any category. It’s a cocktailing dream, too.

Be aware, I know there will be some batch variation, and this is one of the ones I’ve liked most. I’m curious about the proofing decisions.

I do not recall batch and bottle, but it was very interesting and unique to say the least. About $55. Couldn’t really find anything appropriate enough to mix it with either.

Sweet first attack on tongue. Unique funky notes on nose translate well to the palate: pickled and seeded feta-stuffed jalapeno, in pickled radish brine, familiar agave white peppers and overcooked green beans giving way to a lime zest peppermint aftertaste. Really different for sure! Two too many left turns for my palate. Points for being one of the most unique tasting mezcals. Tasted it a year ago, but would give it another try seeing all these shining reviews.

Lote 14, 43.9%
Nose: Fresh pico de gallo, lime, sauerkraut, green chili, sharp gorgonzola – savory and funky.

Palate: Medium-full body. At first sweeter than the nose, with apple and lychee, but the fruits are quickly joined by salsa verde and blue cheese.

Finish: Fading cheese funk, sweet bell peppers, canary peppers, leafy greens, mixed herbs, and white pepper. Develops into latex and mint. Medium-long.

This is bold and savory, like drinking fresh salsa and queso. The flavor palette is a little unbalanced but not aggressively funky. An unusual profile, and impressive for the price.

Lot 14, 09/2018, 43.9%abv
The nose very “green” akin to jalapeno/poblano peppers with undertones of cheese…perhaps a touch of onions in there as well. Basically, it smells like jalapeno poppers in a glass. Taste is more of the same with a pepper spice kick. The green pepper flavors cling to your palate forever. Overall, a solid and distinctive mezcal that pushes a lot of great buttons and is an absolute bargain. I just wish that it had a higher ABV which I venture would bring out more depth which it lacks. I recently had a taste of a Mezonte Jalisco Raicilla that shared a lot of these flavors with tons of extra depth and complexity and blew my mind.

5th edition, bottle 92/1420

Opening the bottle fresh, I found the nose to be full of green peppers and blue cheese – maybe almost stinky tofu? for those who have been to taiwan – with some sourness, like very fermented sauerkraut. Also mint and white peppercorn, and some hints of sweet fruit, like lychee. After pouring and letting it open up a bit, the blue cheese retreats to the smell of cream cheese spread on cut green peppers.

The palate was much the same: white pepper, chalky and mineral, cheese. Sweet and a little pungent, like white sugar on jalapenos, but relatively smooth.

If you let the glass sit empty for a bit, the nose putrefies more to something closer to stinky tofu.

Probably not for everyone but I’m glad I bought it and like the nose and taste