Powered by 100% agave

El Jolgorio Espadin

El Jolgorio Espadin is made by several different producers but each release is special. Some are aged in glass, others are made with wild Espadin.

About this mezcal

El Jolgorio Espadin is made with agave Espadin. Each batch of this uses Espadin from different remote areas, and some batches have been aged many years in glass. Other batches are made with wild agave Espadin, which is quite different from the cultivated Espadin that is much more common. Be sure to check the bottle for batch details.

El Jolgorio Mezcal

El Jolgorio translates to “the revelry”. Jolgorios are small festivals that occur in remote, mountain villages throughout Oaxaca, Mexico. They celebrate births, deaths, weddings and Saint’s days. For centuries, the lifeblood of these celebrations has been traditional mezcal. In 2010, the Cortés family began building a collective of top mezcal distillers from around Oaxaca. As of 2019, El Jolgorio represents sixteen different families, working in ten different regions of Oaxaca, Mexico, each with its own special story. Every bottle is hand-marked with the specific details of each batch, to truly connect the drinker with the family behind the expression.

In 2017, the team behind the brand realized that certain varieties of agave would be extremely limited and they would only be able to make them available once per year (if at all). They began packaging these rare editions in black bottles to set them apart from the other releases.

The artwork on the first 8 releases was created by Alejandro Peña (Espadin, Pechuga, Tobala, Cuixe, Madrecuixe, Tepeztate, Barril and Mexicano). The next 5 labels were created by Asis Cortes (Arroqueno, Jabalin, Coyote, Tobaxiche, and Cenizo) and the Sierrudo artwork was created by Alberto Almánza.

Member rating

3.95 out of 5

21 reviews

Forpowder

Forpowder

76 reviews
Rated 4 out of 5 stars2 weeks ago

Year 2017 edition 16 591/660 48.2% batch PV. 47% Aroma’s out of the bottle are sweet candy and spice. Nice balance of floral aromas and spicy alcohol.

KyraNicole

KyraNicole

42 reviews
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars2 weeks ago

2017 harvest; edition 17; bottle 211/300
fruity on the nose; very smoothe and nice tasting; raw agave; tyler gets grass and I get a little soap; very fresh and fruity

Jori

Jori

52 reviews
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars2 years ago

Taster @El Cortez in Edmonton, Alberta for $34/oz paired w/ a Fundido of Queso Oaxaceno

Perhaps the best Espadin I’ve had and my favorite of El Jolgorio so far (I’ve only had a few, granted)

Extremely well balanced yet intense flavors of New York cheesecake, dark chocolate and red berries. Some toasted cinnamon and Mexican vanilla.

COak

COak

228 reviews
Rated 4 out of 5 stars2 years ago

Edition: 11. Rafael Mendez Cruz. Bottle 12/250. Smells like sweet ripe agave. Great espadin expression. Sugary, earthy and vegetal.

El-Dawg

El-Dawg

208 reviews
Rated 3 out of 5 stars3 years ago

Edition 8 – 2006
Light & crisp (seems weaker than 48%). Slightly buttery, and not overly complex or standout. Average espadin for an above average brand.
Review #118

Zack Klamn

Zack Klamn

542 reviews
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars3 years ago

Nose – Strawberry, soft ice cream sundae.

Palate – Medium viscosity. Dark chocolate mousse note. A pleasant grassiness. Balance on the finish is spot on… optimal heat, welcoming smoke and clay that is locked in for a solid minute of aftertaste.

Rakhal

Rakhal

421 reviews
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars3 years ago

Edition 04 from 2005. Ignacio Parada. I’m really surprised this wasn’t amazing. I am a big fan of this Mezcalero, but this was just average in my opinion. Very little flavor and actually a bit harsh which was surprising considering how long it spent in glass. Oh well, can’t win them all I guess.

Patrick

Patrick

57 reviews
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars3 years ago

Rafael Mendez Cruz
Edition 8
2006
Nose: soft and pillowy. First a little citrus comes through, then vanilla and green vegetables, followed by blueberries and sugar cane.
Taste : gentle and big, floral with minerals and green. I also get something like toffee.
Finish : lingering light smoke mixed in with some sweetness.
Balance comes to mind on this one. This is the Bordeaux of espadins…

stigibeu

stigibeu

33 reviews
Rated 4 out of 5 stars4 years ago

Edition 8, 2006 Harvest Rafael Méndez Cruz
ABV: 47.8%
Lemon pine sol, blueberry muffin on the nose, with a little bit of supporting green notes. Roasted agave later on too. Pleasant, medium bodied mouthfeel. Notable warmth and distance on the on the end contrasts with the restraint of the nose and mouthfeel, leaving it a little unbalanced for me. That said, still a fantastic offering in the espadin space and one worth tracking down.

TheAuditor

TheAuditor

38 reviews
Rated 4 out of 5 stars4 years ago

Edition 8, 2006 Harvest Rafael Méndez Cruz

ABV: 47.8%

Nose: Fresh cut Green Bell Peppers, Wildflowers, light Earthiness, orange citrus, mint.

Palate: Medium mouthfeel. Warm. Vegetal Greens, Green Bell Peppers, Floralness, orange citrus, coriander, light Raspberry, milk chocolate, allspice.

Finish: Long, warm and moist. Earthy, Peppery, Wildflowers, light honey , allspice, mint,

This is really impressive. It bursts with tons of flavor across the palate, it has a good balance of savory and sweet but is upfront with great big green / vegetal flavors. I’d crush through a bottle of this if I had one its so nice and refreshing.

Edition 8, 2006 Harvest Rafael Méndez Cruz
ABV: 47.8%
Nose: Fresh cut Green Bell Peppers, Wildflowers, light Earthiness, orange citrus, mint.
Palate: Medium mouthfeel. Warm. Vegetal Greens, Green Bell Peppers, Floralness, orange citrus, coriander, light Raspberry, milk chocolate, allspice.
Finish: Long, warm and moist. Earthy, Peppery, Wildflowers, light honey , allspice, mint,
This is really impressive. It bursts with tons of flavor across the palate, it has a good balance of savory and sweet

Read more
JDB

JDB

159 reviews
Rated 4 out of 5 stars4 years ago

Edition 07, 2014, Pedro Vasquez, first exposure to Jolgorio outside of a mezcal bar tasting. Batch# PVOES041217EJ. Tastes like a clay distillation, the label does say copper with three years resting in glass. Wonderful flavor as it warms the palate, not much smoke, a touch of anise, nice spice and lingering finish. Really special. Great discovery on my reunion tour of espadins.

Spirit_Chaser

Spirit_Chaser

20 reviews
Rated 3 out of 5 stars5 years ago

Edition 08: / Harvest: 2006 / 47.8% ABV
Rafael Méndez Cruz
Aromas of vanilla, blueberries, grilled asparagus, and slight wintergreen. Flavor has more impact with notes of roasted agave, raw broccoli, vanilla, herbs, and wintergreen atop a buttery caramel backbone. The minty caramel notes continue into the medium-length finish with a sprinkle of black pepper and pine. Pretty smooth for it’s nearly 48% abv. A good espadin but it failed to live up to the expectations that the EJ line instills. Better can be had for less, imo.

Edition 08: / Harvest: 2006 / 47.8% ABV
Rafael Méndez Cruz
Aromas of vanilla, blueberries, grilled asparagus, and slight wintergreen. Flavor has more impact with notes of roasted agave, raw broccoli, vanilla, herbs, and wintergreen atop a buttery caramel backbone. The minty caramel notes continue into the medium-length finish with a sprinkle of black pepper and pine. Pretty smooth for it’s nearly 48% abv. A good espadin but it failed to live up to the expectations that the EJ line i

Read more
Nic Hnastchenko

Nic Hnastchenko

108 reviews
Rated 4 out of 5 stars5 years ago

I really liked this, one of my favorite espadins from the day.

TheAgaveFairy

TheAgaveFairy

169 reviews
Rated 4 out of 5 stars5 years ago

Edition 08: harvest 2006, Rafael Méndez Cruz

Nose is espadin and lilac/ bluebonnet, some warm vanilla, pimento, flamed orange peel, soil, papaya, guava, pomegranate or raspberry, cured meats.

Palette shows glass resting and a mineral texture, sweet and allspice with a good finish. Touches of wintergreen and pie crust.

Could use a touch more balance but this is a great characterful espadin.

Chris

Chris

40 reviews
Rated 4 out of 5 stars5 years ago

Edition 4 2009 1254/1550 Santiago. Not a huge nose, but sweet in the middle and a really great ending with green pepper and smoke. Jolgorios have gone a bit crazy with the arrival of pricey 250ml bottles. This is a little too boutique for me. A wild 750 espadin with age for a little more than a 250 of recent cuish is looking more attractive IMHO.

thamthong

thamthong

47 reviews
Rated 4 out of 5 stars6 years ago

edition 07, 2014, 47.8%, pedro vasquez. one of the sweetest mezcals ive come across. deep, sugary nose with a bit of ethanol. tastes a bit like drugstore rainbow sherbet with mouthwatering acidity. a touch soapy, with ashy bitterness on the finish.

Ruud

Ruud

4 reviews
Rated 4 out of 5 stars6 years ago

Batch 06 from 2016. Nice fragrance of agave and sweets. It coat the mouth with nice taste of fruit and some mint. Smoke in the finish. Very well balanced and a lot of taste. Is it the wild espadin that makes the difference? Very rich and lovely mezcal

razorbackmike

razorbackmike

152 reviews
Rated 4 out of 5 stars6 years ago

one of the best espadins i have ever had!wild variety made by parada.hard to pick out individual notes but the sum is greater than single parts.no bite or burn.full agave sweetness with hint of smoke.goes down like water.some mint at the start.excellent!

Tyler

Tyler

636 reviews
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars7 years ago

A real beauty. Incredibly balanced all the way through. Batch #2, distilled in 2005, from mezcalero Ignacio Parada is a treat. This espadin is light on the palate and has zero bite at 47.8% ABV. I get a lot of citrus, wood spice, and burnt caramel. It finishes with light smoke. Mezcalheads rave about this batch of espadin with good reason. 4 stars.

Update: Sipping again in 2022.. finishing off this bottle. Updating to 4.5 stars. Such a nice balance of agave sugars. Aromas of jasmine. Such a great example of Espadín.

A real beauty. Incredibly balanced all the way through. Batch #2, distilled in 2005, from mezcalero Ignacio Parada is a treat. This espadin is light on the palate and has zero bite at 47.8% ABV. I get a lot of citrus, wood spice, and burnt caramel. It finishes with light smoke. Mezcalheads rave about this batch of espadin with good reason. 4 stars.
Update: Sipping again in 2022.. finishing off this bottle. Updating to 4.5 stars. Such a nice balance of agave sugars. Aromas of jasmine. Such a grea

Read more
Keith

Keith

35 reviews
Rated 4 out of 5 stars7 years ago

Edition 05, Harvest 2000, Bottle 360/1350, 48% ABV, Jose Cortez Santiago. Faintly floral nose. Pervasive effervescent-like tingling mouthfeel. Bright, indistinct main flavors, with barnyard earth beneath, followed by a short, dry, woody finish. The aftertaste is dominated by green resin and persistent tongue tingle, plus smoke in the background. Evaluated as a standalone Espadin, I give it 4 stars. However, El Jolgorio’s silvestre/wild Espadin of 2005 occupies that spot, and the 2000 harvest year batch lacks the former’s beauty, depth, and complexity. The 2000 gets only 3 stars from me when I rate it in comparison context.

Batch: 002-ESP, 47.8% ABV, Ignacio Parada, Bottle No. 1699/2080. This batch had a 2005 distillation date, 7 years stored in Damajuanas (demijohns), then bottled in 2012, effectively making this mezcal 11 years + rested in glass until the opening date, and it shows. A light nose, a taste of candied fruit for a brief moment, followed quickly by a robust expansion of herbaceous flavors, licorice note on the calmer side, with a flavorful finish of roasted agave, well water, sweetness, and maybe a whiff of hibiscus. Nice residual smokiness too. Good stuff!

Edition 05, Harvest 2000, Bottle 360/1350, 48% ABV, Jose Cortez Santiago. Faintly floral nose. Pervasive effervescent-like tingling mouthfeel. Bright, indistinct main flavors, with barnyard earth beneath, followed by a short, dry, woody finish. The aftertaste is dominated by green resin and persistent tongue tingle, plus smoke in the background. Evaluated as a standalone Espadin, I give it 4 stars. However, El Jolgorio’s silvestre/wild Espadin of 2005 occupies that spot, and the 2000

Read more

Review this bottle

Login or create an account to add your tasting notes

Back to top