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Gusano Rojo Mezcal

Gusano Rojo Mezcal was one of the first mezcals to be exported from Mexico, and it is still widely distributed throughout the globe to this day.

About this mezcal

Gusano Rojo Mezcal is produced in Santiago Matatlan using maguey Espadin (agave Angustifolia). It is double distilled and aged at least 2 months in oak and white oak casks before being bottled for distribution. Gusano Rojo first was exported in 1978, and there’s a very interesting pre-Denomination of Origin article about the brand in the Associate Press from 1987: The Worm is Just for Flavor.

Gusano Rojo Mezcal

Mezcal Gusano Rojo claims to be one of the first mezcals to include the worm in its bottle. Legend has it that an employee of the bottling plant, Jacobo Lozano Páez, came up with the idea in the 1940s, before this mezcal got it’s current name. The name “Gusano Rojo” comes from the worm that grows in the agave, and can be considered as a delicacy with aphrodisiac properties.

Member rating

1.63 out of 5

8 reviews

Zack Klamn

Zack Klamn

542 reviews
Rated 1 out of 5 stars3 years ago

Nose – Flaming kerosene. Sugar-free caramel sweetener. Wet tree bark.

Palate – Pinesol. Burnt caramel. Look, it’s not a great mezcal obviously (or even a good one but it doesn’t pretend to be… *cough, cough Casamigos*). Honestly I expected it to be worse as a sipper. Still there are much better options in the $25-30 range though but I can’t imagine this working in a cocktail (hence the 1 star rating – it seems incredibly one dimensional).

Rated 4 out of 5 stars3 years ago

Gusano Rojo is a good mezcal. This might sound a bit rude but most of the people who are giving bad reviews aren’t exactly the target consumers of this product. Taste preference varies from region to region and Americans are known to not like or are unable to withstand the tastes that Mexicans love. This is a good drink. Too strong? Absolutely not. It’s just too strong for you just like other mexican drinks and foods. I’ve had plenty of other mezcals during my visits to family in mexico and gusano rojo is one of my favorites. Leave honest reviews people. Don’t bash the product for being too “spicy” “strong” for your palette. There is a reason why this is one of Mexico’s favorite mezcals.

Gusano Rojo is a good mezcal. This might sound a bit rude but most of the people who are giving bad reviews aren’t exactly the target consumers of this product. Taste preference varies from region to region and Americans are known to not like or are unable to withstand the tastes that Mexicans love. This is a good drink. Too strong? Absolutely not. It’s just too strong for you just like other mexican drinks and foods. I’ve had plenty of other mezcals during my visits to family

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Jonny

Jonny

700 reviews
Rated 1 out of 5 stars3 years ago

Oof. Is one star too much? It’s remarkable that I’ve gone this long without ever tasting this stuff, but now I see why. It’s very nutty, so that’s the main note I get. Tasted a 50ml bottle that had a full gusano in it. Maybe too much worm?!

LittleArm

LittleArm

32 reviews
Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars3 years ago

Oh my god. This is bad. I’ve choked down some terrible mezcals but this is on an entirely new level. To the point that I questioned whether it was actually a mezcal or not. Tried to have few sips to pick out some notes but it wasn’t even worth trying. Straight down the drain with this one

Edit: Subjected my poor girlfriend to this monstrosity of a beverage and she said it tastes like battery acid mixed with sunscreen. I agree wholeheartedly so there are some tasting notes for ya

Oh my god. This is bad. I’ve choked down some terrible mezcals but this is on an entirely new level. To the point that I questioned whether it was actually a mezcal or not. Tried to have few sips to pick out some notes but it wasn’t even worth trying. Straight down the drain with this one
Edit: Subjected my poor girlfriend to this monstrosity of a beverage and she said it tastes like battery acid mixed with sunscreen. I agree wholeheartedly so there are some tasting notes for ya

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jah6069

jah6069

3 reviews
Rated 1 out of 5 stars3 years ago

had this back in the late seventies or eighties. Had a tiny bag of mezcal salt attached to a 50ml of Gusano Rojo. Novelty western ski town mezcal.

Tyler

Tyler

636 reviews
Rated 1 out of 5 stars3 years ago

Avoid at all costs! Smells like worm and stale mixto tequila. Sour, copper, chemical notes. It leaves a really gross taste in your mouth. This might be the Cuervo Gold of mezcal. Could only sip 10ml of this 50ml mini bottle – the rest was poured out (including the worm!); batch L021001.

COak

COak

228 reviews
Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars3 years ago

You should have seen the face I made when I tried this. One small sip was more than enough. This doesn’t taste like mezcal.

EJL

EJL

2 reviews
Rated 4 out of 5 stars4 years ago

Full disclosure: I’m a noob to te world of mezcal. That said, I’ve tasted a handful of mezcals – from the expensive to the cheap, here. That said, I find this one to be, for it’s price, an excellent value. It has a nice smokiness to it and I had no morning after headache like I’ve experienced with much more expensive mezcals (looking at Illegal, here).

Note, there is a worm, and it is infused with caramel, which as I understand it, is a deal-breaker for purists. But for about $30, it’s a great value.

Full disclosure: I’m a noob to te world of mezcal. That said, I’ve tasted a handful of mezcals – from the expensive to the cheap, here. That said, I find this one to be, for it’s price, an excellent value. It has a nice smokiness to it and I had no morning after headache like I’ve experienced with much more expensive mezcals (looking at Illegal, here).
Note, there is a worm, and it is infused with caramel, which as I understand it, is a deal-breaker for purists. But fo

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