Mezcalero No. 16 was made from maguey Madre-Cuishe. This is another beautifully distilled Mezcal from Don Valente Angel.
About this mezcal
Mezcalero No. 16 was made with semi-wild maguey Madre-Cuishe, and it was distilled by Don Valente Angel in Santa Maria Pila. The Madre-Cuishe has high acidity, and therefore creates great structure and clarity of flavor in the Mezcal. This is another beautifully distilled Mezcal from Don Valente Angel. There are notes of softly roasted agave, subtle fruit, and minerality that meet a lively herbaceousness. The liquid coats the mouth. This Mezcal has a vegetal foundation and hints of soft smoke. The flavors are deep and lingering.
Mezcalero Mezcal
Each Mezcalero bottling is true to the fundamental batch nature of artisan Mezcal production. Each bottling is distilled from a single integral batch of agaves that are at least 50% wild or semi-wild, and usually 100%. These “silvestre” agaves take a lot of work to harvest: searching for days in the mountains, packing the agaves back on burros. After that, it takes a month of continuous labor to produce a single batch of Mezcalero, usually 600-700 bottles. Mezcalero is both a brand and an intention. The brand is a way for talented artisan distillers to work with, and gain part of their livelihood from, some very special agaves. The intention goes deeper: to help preserve a way of distilling that is also a way of life, deeply linked to the distiller’s family, to his social environs, to his pueblo, to an entire way of life largely deriving from indigenous culture that is at risk of rapid deterioration under pressure from the modernization of Mexico.
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jlum4
11 reviewsfloral and fruit forward, big mango notes, great minerality… one of my favorites!
SoloAgave
86 reviewsHad to try this after all the great reviews and its a beautiful expression all around. Tasted along with the Sierrudo and this floral, herbal, perfectly balanced expression just had you wanting to go back for more. It’s worthy of the stellar reviews and I look forward to trying it again. Thanks to Cantina Mayahuel in San Diego for having such an awesome agave spirits collection!
meserole
73 reviewsDon Valente has to be my favorite mezcalero at this point.
Floral /jasmine notes on the nose. Peppery taste with sweet honeysuckle and clean rocks and minerals aftertaste. Splendid.
stigibeu
33 reviewsOutstanding. Not much to add beyond descriptions below.
Mansson
71 reviewsDistilled July 2014. There is a bit of everything in this very well-rounded mezcal: it’s floral and fruity (mango); it has a caramelised sweetness, a peppery spiciness and a pinch of salt. Excellent!
t8ke
144 reviewsThick and rich mouth feel. No real heat. Sweet cream, honey, apples and orange peel. Earthy and floral, lots of savory texture with the tradeoff between sweet and earthy. Minerality is high, acidity medium. That chemical note is nowhere to be found – replaced entirely with crisp minerality and crushed pineapple.
Nic Hnastchenko
108 reviewsHerbaceous and vegetal and absolutely delicious.
Cortez
12 reviewsYum! I’m a fan of madres and this is up there with the best of them. Very easy to drink. I get a lot of earthiness and tree fruits. Finish reminds me a fresh sourdough.
Rakhal
421 reviewsWow!! Very floral. Like a fruit orchard in bloom. Something savory as well, like brown butter popcorn. This is the first offering I’ve tried from this brand and if they are all like this I’m going to be searching out the others! I need to find myself a bottle of this!
COak
228 reviewsTried this at a bar and it’s wonderful, one of the best mezcaleros and madre cuixe I’ve tried. Will be looking to pick up a bottle.
GreenspointTexas
385 reviewsUnderrated. My favorite from Mezcalero. Maybe more so than #2. Unbelievable nose and a full bodied punch packed with fruit, earth, campfire, spice, and even, dare I say, masa. Cant believe there are still bottles of this sitting on shelves at certain places
thamthong
47 reviewsone of my favorite mezcales. beautifully finessed. musty n dusty, ripe fruit, vibrant acidity, clean agave, rich minerality, and a pinch of salt, all in perfect harmony. ambrosial.
Joseph
26 reviewsI’ve tried four of Don Valente’s mezcals, which to me all have a very similar underlying character that I’m very fond of. This could be my favorite. I don’t have a bottle yet, so I’m only going on a tasting, but it’s gorgeous. The first words that come to mind when tasting are clouds, angels, and bubblegum. It is soft, velvety, and round. Floral with mild minerality. Beautiful.
Keith
35 reviewsGrapefruit and mineral salt on the nose, mineral notes continue to the palate, it has a light body with alcohol sizzle and flavor of unripe Carambola, an underpinning of mild smoke, and nuanced agave sweetness on the finish. I enjoy this mescal, but it lacks wow-factor(s).
Tyler
641 reviewsFloral orange-blossom notes on the nose. Velvet mouthfeel. Don Valente’s signature minerality is present on the palate with refined flavors of berry, mint, caramel, pepper, and oak. One of my favorite mezcals from one of my favorite mezcaleros. A must-try mezcal, especially for madre cuishe fans.
Jonny
705 reviewsOne of my favorite mezcals. This is super vegetal in aroma and taste. It’s herbal and rich with notes of ash, green grass, smoked apricot, mango, and clove. The mouthfeel is textured and velvety. This is another incredible Mezcal from Don Valente Angel. It’s one of his best and it’s limited as a one-time release.
3chainz
19 reviewsPerfecting balanced all the way through. Herbal and sharp. One you want to keep pouring