Mezonte Raicilla Japo is a small batch Raicilla from Cabo Corrientes, which is a cape on the Pacific coast of Jalisco, south of Puerto Vallarta.
Mezonte Raicilla Japo is made with agave Amarillo (a. Rhodacantha), which is either synonymous or very closely related to agave Mexicano. This Raicilla is made by Hildegardo “Japo” Joya in Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco. Japo is 87 years old (as of 2019) and still producing regularly. Per tradition in this region, he only harvests agave under the light of a full moon.
Mezonte is a noprofit organization that promotes, supports, and preserves the production and practices of traditional agave spirits. Mezonte’s main objective is to create awareness of the cultural and biological value that these spirits represent. They feature agave spirits from all over Mexico, with an emphasis on Jalisco and Michoacán. Their producers make mezcal, raicilla, barranca, tuxca, sikua, or any other name used for distilled agave in this region. When Mezonte buys a batch from a producer, they only buy 60% of the batch because they want the community and the culture of the community to continue to consume and enjoy as they have for hundreds of years.
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justsomedude
17 reviewsAnother fantastic offering from Mezonte. Jony found this to be incredibly complex but did not fit his palate. Well it fits my palate perfectly because I love the tangy yogurt notes found in both the nose and palate. I’m not sure about pickles and hotdog water though, I got mostly red and black berries, lemongrass, yogurt, creme fraiche, honey and agave. Mouthfeel is rich and coats the whole palate. Finish is long and leaves only the pleasant aspects of yogurt with honey and agave. 93/100
Another fantastic offering from Mezonte. Jony found this to be incredibly complex but did not fit his palate. Well it fits my palate perfectly because I love the tangy yogurt notes found in both the nose and palate. I’m not sure about pickles and hotdog water though, I got mostly red and black berries, lemongrass, yogurt, creme fraiche, honey and agave. Mouthfeel is rich and coats the whole palate. Finish is long and leaves only the pleasant aspects of yogurt with honey and agave. 93/100
Jonny
351 reviewsLot 01 from 2018. 400 litres in the batch. Aromas of spoiled yogurt, hot dog water, and pickles… in kind of a good way, but very funky. Slight ammonia or cat piss aroma as well…again not off putting, but very funky. A bit thin on the palate with notes of freshly picked cotton, lemon peel, potatoes skins, and more boiled hot dogs. This is dynamic and complex for sure. Not my favorite however, but it might just not be a good fit for my palate.
GreenspointTexas
141 reviews10/10 would smash again