Lamata Cenizo was produced by Federico Cruz and his family in El Mezquital, Durango using Maguey Cenizo (Agave Durangensis).
About this destilado de agave
Lamata Cenizo was produced by Federico Cruz and his family in El Mezquital, Durango using Maguey Cenizo (Agave Durangensis). Federico and his family are Tepehuán, an indigenous people of Mexico. The agaves are cooked in an underground oven and mashed by axe and desgarradora. It is fermented in pine wood vats with spring water. It is then double distilled in a traditional Durango-style copper on bottom wood “Viejo” on top with wood arm going to copper serpentine. Batch CEN – 6-1-2018 was produced using Cenizo that grows amongst pine trees at high elevation with a colder climate than typical maguey Cenizo. This spirit is very green with notes of green-pepper and chile, flavors that are characteristic of Salmianas.
This bottle was originally released under the brand name Amormata; it was rebranded to Lamata prior to the release of the second batch.
Lamata
Lamata (formerly named Amormata) is the for-export label of Nacion de Las Verdes Matas, a small unregistered brand started by Luis Loya many years ago. His goal is to share mezcal from Northern Mexico from places that are under-represented in the market. Luis has relationships with producers in Durango, Nuevo Leon, Sonora, Chihuahua, San Luis Potosi and Tamaulipas among others.
The typical lot sizes of Amormata releases range from about 40 liters to 200 liters. The producers will continue to make about the same amount of spirits that they historically have in the past. Therefore, the brand will not bottle much more than a total of three to five thousand liters per year. Amormata is dedicated to promoting the “gusto historico”, the terroir, the liquid culture, and the history that is mezcal to people beyond the borders of the places where it is made.
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James Christian
39 reviewsBatch CENC – 2/23/2022
Maguey Cenizo (agave Durangesis)
Proof – 54%
Mescaleros – Enrique y Federico De la Cruz
Pine Wood, underground oven, axe, copper
Nose – Some balsamic, tart berry
Palate – A bit hot and dry at first, but then it coats and settles down.
Flavors – WOW ok…. tart strawberry jolly rancher, red hots, a bit of fresh farm cream… so much going on here.
Finish – long and sustained level of light smoke and mild heat throughout.
For a durangesis this is on a whole other level.
Batch CENC – 2/23/2022
Maguey Cenizo (agave Durangesis)
Proof – 54%
Mescaleros – Enrique y Federico De la Cruz
Pine Wood, underground oven, axe, copper
Nose – Some balsamic, tart berry
Palate – A bit hot and dry at first, but then it coats and settles down.
Flavors – WOW ok…. tart strawberry jolly rancher, red hots, a bit of fresh farm cream… so much going on here.
Finish – long and sustained level of light smoke and mild heat throughout.
For a duran
peter-campora
15 reviewsThis Cenizo comes from Enrique and Federico Cruz at 52.5% abv. So far the Familia Cruz bottlings have been favorites of mine from the Lamata lineup, along with Sosimo
Jarquin’s various expressions. This is one of the more affordable bottlings in the Lamata lineup. Lot CEN-C 12/1/2020
Nose: Watermelon jolly ranchers! There’s a hint of balsalmic vinegar. There’s also some tart strawberries.
Palate: The attack is a strong helping of watermelon, candy, and balsalmic. It feels less candied than the noses suggests. It’s tart like jolly rancher candy, with some nice acidity. There’s a thick mouthfeel on this. With water added some bubblegum joins in to mellow out some of the acidic watermelon nose.
Finish: Unfortunately, the finish is a tad hot. The 52.5% makes itself none. There’s also a bit of an acrid plastic note. It’s joined however by this nice basil and balsalmic note that reminds me of caprese salad. The finish is drier than the palate and feels slightly disjoint.
Overall: This is a fun and powerful expression and the palate is right up my alley, sans some of the heat. Some flaws on the finish hold this back from excellence, but I still really enjoy this pour overall. Water helps tame some of the harsh notes, although I rarely feel inclined to proof down mezcal.
Score: 7/10
This Cenizo comes from Enrique and Federico Cruz at 52.5% abv. So far the Familia Cruz bottlings have been favorites of mine from the Lamata lineup, along with Sosimo
Jarquin’s various expressions. This is one of the more affordable bottlings in the Lamata lineup. Lot CEN-C 12/1/2020
Nose: Watermelon jolly ranchers! There’s a hint of balsalmic vinegar. There’s also some tart strawberries.
Palate: The attack is a strong helping of watermelon, candy, and balsalmic. It feels less
JDB
101 reviewsABV 50% Lot#CEN-C 13-05-2019
Really have enjoyed the few cenizos that I have tried. The more that I sample mezcals outside of Oaxaca, the more I impressed by their quality and range of flavors. Really glad to see more brands go the extra mile to bring some undiscovered mezcaleros and their mezcales to broader distribution. This cenizo is quite special. Pine and lemon peel on the nose with a faint whiff of paint thinner. The flavor is quite strong, with pine tar, gravel, sand, and earth, and a crazy minerality. It reminds me of the smell from an uprooted pine tree. There is a sharp heat that fades quickly. On the back end of the palate, there is that lemon peel and citrus note. The flavors linger on the tongue for a while. I could see how this flavor profile would not be for everyone, especially if the flavors you prefer are more fruit-forward and candy flavored. But this one just knocks my socks off. Reminds me of some raicillas that I have tried. Looking over the other reviews, not sure I get the mothballs, green pepper, jalapeño, or apple jollyranchers, but there may be something to the ginger ale note that Zach mentioned.
ABV 50% Lot#CEN-C 13-05-2019
Really have enjoyed the few cenizos that I have tried. The more that I sample mezcals outside of Oaxaca, the more I impressed by their quality and range of flavors. Really glad to see more brands go the extra mile to bring some undiscovered mezcaleros and their mezcales to broader distribution. This cenizo is quite special. Pine and lemon peel on the nose with a faint whiff of paint thinner. The flavor is quite strong, with pine tar, gravel, sand, and earth, a
GreenspointTexas
385 reviewsStrange. Overpowering cinnamon and cedar. Moth balls? If “old army surplus” was a flavor, this would nail it. Musty. Not sure if I like
Zack Klamn
509 reviewsNose – Canada Dry Ginger Ale. Gouda cheese.
Palate – Medium viscosity with a slight sediment feel to it (although it’s clear). A subtle burnt cheese note – like a processed cheese (that have the individual wrappers) on toast cooked a bit too long on broil. Mint chocolate chip. Plywood. Sugar water in the aftertaste (the flavors fall off sharply after the finish).
Rakhal
392 reviewsThis is a really solid Mezcal but I think I was hoping that it would be more unique, like the other Amormata/Lamata offerings. Mint chocolate chip ice cream, banana, fresh jalapeño, fresh green bell pepper. Good stuff.
Tyler
604 reviewsThere are a lot of Cenizos from Durango on the market now and this is one of the better ones. Overall quite sweet with some tart rustic notes. Made me think of green apple Jolly Ranchers. Probably the most approachable of the Amormata line. The heat warms your mouth nicely but isn’t overpowering. 50%.