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Mezonte Raicilla Japo – Hildegardo Joya

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.

Rating: (14 reviews)
Category:Raicilla
Brand:Mezonte
Raicillero:Hildegardo Joya
Maguey:Amarillo
Agave:Rhodacantha
Grind:Hand
Distillation:Copper
Style:Joven
State:Jalisco
Town:Cabo Corrientes
ABV: 47%
Website: http://mezonte.com/, opens in new window

About this raicilla

Mezonte Raicilla Japo is made with maguey Amarillo (Agave rhodacantha), which is either synonymous or very closely related to maguey 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

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.

Learn more about Mezonte:

Member rating

4.32 out of 5

14 reviews

Ben P

Ben P

107 reviews
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars1 month ago

Batch 6 Jan 2020

Nose: earth, unripe red grapes, bbq, clay, some pine, briny

Palate: fruity yogurt, oranges, pineapples, peanuts, tobacco and char. Finish: this sort of nutty finish, hazelnut, burnt though, crispy veggies, tart pickles

Solid overall.

JewelsLaforgue

JewelsLaforgue

1 review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars3 months ago

Batch 03/2019 – intriguing nose consisting mostly of olive brine and the much-lauded yoghurt belch. Plunging my schnozz into the haze yielded such delights that I almost forgot to start sipping.

This is probably the most complex and rewarding agave spirit I have had until now and it sets the bar unbelievably high if it happens to be your first. A savory mix of vanilla and cheese, with an occasional meaty note (eau de hot dogue confirmed) that just kept me coming back for more. For 47% ABV, this one goes down quite smoothly, and the afterburn is as timid as it gets.

If you dig complex flavors and don’t really care about sweetness, you might have quite a challenge on your hands microdosing this baby, since it is so delightful yet moreish at the same time. Not particularly unctuous, but it has a long aftertaste and admirable persistence (just leave that glass unwashed for a while and come back to it every now and then for a whiff). A negligible presence of greenery – this one rolls the animal dice and hits a massive 6.
Hopefully some mastermind will design some Dune-style stillsuit to help agave hounds retain some of this goodness.

Batch 03/2019 – intriguing nose consisting mostly of olive brine and the much-lauded yoghurt belch. Plunging my schnozz into the haze yielded such delights that I almost forgot to start sipping.
This is probably the most complex and rewarding agave spirit I have had until now and it sets the bar unbelievably high if it happens to be your first. A savory mix of vanilla and cheese, with an occasional meaty note (eau de hot dogue confirmed) that just kept me coming back for more. For 47% ABV,

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Jose M. Aguayo

Jose M. Aguayo

11 reviews
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars11 months ago

Nose: tart yogurt;
Taste: cooked agave; tart; pine

little_agave

little_agave

34 reviews
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars1 year ago

Batch 04 2019. 350 liters in batch.
Aroma: sweet bbq layers, parmesan cheese, mashed potatoes, molasses, hickory
Palate: Fresh, bell pepper, earthy, peat

I would happily sip this again, as in I very much enjoy it! Grateful to have the opportunity to taste this. Of the Raicilla’s I’ve tasted this is my go to.

aarild

aarild

152 reviews
Rated 4 out of 5 stars2 years ago

No batch. Smells of pine cone, and a mineral touch with smoke, yoghurt just before going bad.
Very nutty, tastes annatto seeds, pecan, fried pineapple, honey. Well integrated alcohol. If you fall for the flavours, there is nothing to stop it from being a five stars raicilla, but personally I think it is a bit like the harsher lambic beers from Belgium: Too much barnyard bitterness overtaking the funk.

Americana Kyle

Americana Kyle

60 reviews
Rated 4 out of 5 stars2 years ago

Very good, not overly funky but definitely a very in your face type of raicillia. Worth a try!

meserole

meserole

73 reviews
Rated 3 out of 5 stars3 years ago

Bright sweet corn taste like a white whiskey. Cools down quickly in the mouth. Decent, but not a flavor I’m drawn to at all, and it’s worth noting a bottle runs $150+ in US. I just had a pour though.

2018 Lote 1

AdrianM

AdrianM

19 reviews
Rated 5 out of 5 stars3 years ago

Simply amazing Raicilla.

dontimo66

dontimo66

5 reviews
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars3 years ago

Picked this bottle up in Guadalajara in November 2019. One of the best Raicilla’s I’ve had to date. Earthy clay, smoke, caramelized sugar, melon, banana. Great texture with vanilla sweetness

Gregg T&T

Gregg T&T

100 reviews
Rated 4 out of 5 stars4 years ago

Lactic cheese funk on the nose – greek yogurt, dill and cucumber. Really velvety body, honeysuckle and a faint spice of pepper. Relatively short but complex finish.

BartFargo

BartFargo

21 reviews
Rated 5 out of 5 stars4 years ago

2018 Lot 1, 400 liters

Nose: Savory and herbal – fresh queso, tzatziki sauce and banana peppers, with a hearty sprinkling of oregano, cilantro, chopped sweet onion and pancetta. A little fruit shows with time in the form of lightly smoky roasted pineapple.

Palate: Still savory and pungent, with a big spoonful of yogurt seasoned with sautéed onions, mixed green herbs, bacon and citrus zest. Sweet baked agave peeks through here and there. Medium, silky body.

Finish: Savory herbed yogurt and bacon notes continue, complemented by sweet and sour sauce and a little blackberry. Medium-long length.

Thoughts: Consistent profile from start to finish, but really impressive. The funky yogurt and bacon notes are far more in balance than other raicillas I’ve tried, and the rich herbal bouquet provides a great deal of depth. If you like your agave savory, this is a must try.

2018 Lot 1, 400 liters
Nose: Savory and herbal – fresh queso, tzatziki sauce and banana peppers, with a hearty sprinkling of oregano, cilantro, chopped sweet onion and pancetta. A little fruit shows with time in the form of lightly smoky roasted pineapple.
Palate: Still savory and pungent, with a big spoonful of yogurt seasoned with sautéed onions, mixed green herbs, bacon and citrus zest. Sweet baked agave peeks through here and there. Medium, silky body.
Finish: Savory herbed yogurt

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justsomedude

justsomedude

28 reviews
Rated 5 out of 5 stars5 years ago

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

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

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Jonny

Jonny

700 reviews
Rated 4 out of 5 stars5 years ago

Lot 01 from 2018. 400 litres in the batch. Aromas of yogurt, hot dog water, and pickles… in kind of a good way, but very funky. Slight ammonia aroma as well…again not off putting, but very funky. A bit thin on the palate with notes of fresh 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

GreenspointTexas

385 reviews
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars5 years ago

10/10 would smash again

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