NETA Bicuixe was distilled by Mezcalero Celso Garcia Cruz in April 2017. 300 Bicuixe piñas were quiotudo and left caponado for over one year before harvest.
About this destilado de agave
NETA Bicuixe was distilled by Mezcalero Celso Garcia Cruz in April 2017. The maguey Bicuixe found in Miahuatlan are very similar, and perhaps even identical to what is called Tobaziche in parts of the Ejutla valley, the Tobaziche of Santa Catarina Minas, as well as the Cirial from other parts of the Central Valleys.
This 200 liter batch from Maestro Mezcalero Celso Garcia Cruz is an expression of the natural elements of the region, the flavors of the plant, and the nuances imparted by its mezcalero and palenque. 300 Bicuixe piñas were quiotudo and left caponado for over one year before harvest, meaning that the flowering stock, or quiote, was cut before inflorescence, allowing the plant’s energies to concentrate on sugar into the piña. The use of fully matured agave is rare in industrial mezcal production but is a hallmark practice of traditional mezcal and agave spirit craftsmen and women.
NETA
NETA is a colloquial word in Mexico that translates to “the real deal” or “the truth”. Since 2012, the brand has worked closely with several small, family producers and a cooperative of twelve palenqueros from the southern valleys and hills of Miahuatlán, Oaxaca. The region has preserved its reputation for producing some of the finest mezcales and agave spirits anywhere in Mexico. The team behind NETA presents a carefully curated selection of extraordinary spirits that would otherwise never be found outside of its place of origin.
A note about NETA labels: The total bottle count written on the front label might be less than the total batch size. Batches may be split between Mexico, Europe, and the US; the handwritten bottle count represents the number of bottles imported into a particular country.
Learn more about NETA:
- NETA – Spirit Distilled from Agave on the K&L Wines Spirits Journal blog
- NETA is finally here on Mezcalistas
Review this bottle
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aarild
152 reviewsPine needles, resin, like a sotol, but as cagliostro states, it gains a rich fruitiness after letting it sit in the glass for a bit. Probably more or less same batch. Unripe mango, lime peel, fresh coconut, macadamia nut. Full bodied, not quite integrated alcohol, but pleasant still. Very good.
BXCEL1906, 46,3
m8375e
4 reviewsEU version. Celso Garcia Cruz, (2018 vintage, 2020 release), Oaxaca, 49.3%, 200 bottles, £115
Nose: many floral and fruity touches. Slightly creamy, very fine, refined smoke, like a few ashes from a burnt lime. Candy necklace, licorice comfits, old electronics. Refreshers bars, syrupy yet sour, effervescent, lemony and tropical. Green tea, juniper, orange yoghurt, lemon verbena, nettles, pine needles, cucumber slices. Sweetens with a touch of water, more floral, roses, honeysuckle.
Palate: slightly sharp at full strength, lemon verbena, juniper, nettles, pine, scratch n sniff, grapefruit, green tea. With water, creamier, some iodine-y hospital notes, hessian, slight grapefruit mercaptan. Again goes on rather long.
Comment: really complex and delicious. In my side by side, I think I prefer the nose here, but the palate on the Candido Tequilana.
EU version. Celso Garcia Cruz, (2018 vintage, 2020 release), Oaxaca, 49.3%, 200 bottles, £115
Nose: many floral and fruity touches. Slightly creamy, very fine, refined smoke, like a few ashes from a burnt lime. Candy necklace, licorice comfits, old electronics. Refreshers bars, syrupy yet sour, effervescent, lemony and tropical. Green tea, juniper, orange yoghurt, lemon verbena, nettles, pine needles, cucumber slices. Sweetens with a touch of water, more floral, roses, honeysuckle.
Palate: slig
cagliostro
32 reviews2019 46.3% (BXCEL1905)
nose: juicy oranges, green tea, spinach, kinda reminds me of sotol, as it sits the nose leans fruitier – even some mango,
palate: mango fruit leather, quite sweet, brussel sprouts toward the finish and gets a bit harder with time
pretty solid. better finish than the 2020 but less exciting in all other regards. with time i think the fruit comes out more and the finish gets a bit worse. overall probably a 6+/10?
2020 48% (BXCEL2004)
nose: mango, coconut cream, graham cracker crust, quite pleasantly musty
palate: sweet, thick and delicious, toward the finish it gets prickly and a bit more bitter, tastes of cantaloupe, touch of pomegranate, finish is in artichokes, pond water, still some fruit, finish mollifies with time
the finish gets much better over time but it’s initially pretty trying. the fruit here is dark, musky and delicious. a pretty unique mezcal. 7/10
REALLY challenging to assign a rating to this one because there’s no batch system! and i have two different scores!
2019 46.3% (BXCEL1905)
nose: juicy oranges, green tea, spinach, kinda reminds me of sotol, as it sits the nose leans fruitier – even some mango,
palate: mango fruit leather, quite sweet, brussel sprouts toward the finish and gets a bit harder with time
pretty solid. better finish than the 2020 but less exciting in all other regards. with time i think the fruit comes out more and the finish gets a bit worse. overall probably a 6+/10?
2020 48% (BXCEL2004)
nose: mango, coconut cream, graham
GreenspointTexas
385 reviewsEnjoyable but not challeging enough, if that makes sense. Tart sour patch kids and KC Masterpiece bbq sauce. Just didnt grab me like I thought it would
Pablito
4 reviewsJune 2018 – BCEL – 002 – 49.35%
This is the Best mezcal I have ever tasted. The nose is impressive, I could spend hours sitting on a couch sniffing it. On the palate is beautifully sweet and the finish…oh, it lasts forever. Bought 2 bottles and regret I didn’t buy a third one while was still available. Superb.
Meady
53 reviewsNose of spiced fruit with light smoke – smells great.
Tropical fruits, clove, spice and white pepper on the palate.
Long finish as Mansson had said which is warming and delightful.
Definitely a lot going on in terms of flavour, but very well balanced and thoroughly enjoyable.
Mansson
71 reviewsLot BCEL-001, distilled April 2017. Liquorice, rubber tyres, cauliflower and red and dark berries (cherries, redcurrants, blackberries) in a multi-faceted mix. Beautifully sweet and rounded. There is a lot going on from first sniff to the long aftertaste. Excellent and very interesting!