NETA Espadín from Mezcalero Candido García Cruz was distilled in March 2015. Candido works with quiotudo agaves, meaning he cuts each plant’s quiote before it has a chance to flower.
About this destilado de agave
NETA Espadín from Mezcalero Candido García Cruz was distilled in March 2015 (Batch ESPLOG-001). Candido works with quiotudo agaves, meaning he cuts each plant’s quiote before it has a chance to flower. This concentrates the agave’s sugar in the piña rather than sending the energy towards reproduction but requires extra time for each plant to fully ripen. The extra time improves the yield of each piña and develops a richness of flavor.
In March 2015, under the light of a full moon, Candido and his family harvested 90 gigantic, quiotudo Espadín plants from a mineral-rich parcel of their land. On this parcel, they grow their maguey alongside alternating crops of the corn, beans, and squash that provide much of the food for their family. Later that month, they roasted the sugar-rich piñas with mesquite wood in their earthen oven. The cooked piñas rested for a week before being chopped by machete and passed through a mechanical mill. The dry fibers were let to sit for two days before they added filtered water to the fermentation tanks. After 16 days of fermentation, the tepache was ready for distillation. Candido worked the copper pot stills with his two daughters. He adjusted the richness of the batch with heads, hearts, and común macizo, which yielded roughly 900 liters of this destilado de Espadín.
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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laurensbrewing7665
5 reviewsgreat espadin – hint of pineapple. probably my go-to for cocktails
Ben P
110 reviewsBatch: ESPCAN1627 ABV: 47.3%
Nose: candied pineapple, cake frosting, sweet vegetal notes, honeysuckle
Palate: conversation hearts candy from Valentine’s Day, some mint, banana, sweet pineapple juice. Finish is slightly tangy and leathery. Hint of mint.
Lovely Espadin and one of my favorite bottles to show friends newer to agave spirits
jackstraw
31 reviewsbatch: ESPLOG001
bottles: 050 + 052 /246
abv: 49.15%
tropical fruit smoothie;
fresh cypress, pine needles;
model paint / glue;
diet coke, artificial sweetener;
serrano pepper
review #20
MezcalHombre
8 reviewsBatch: CANESP001
One of the best espadins I have ever tried. With this bottle I get lemon, pineapple, banana, sweet cinnamon and grapefruit. it’s literally a fruit salad in your glass.
TrogdordeFuegoanator
40 reviewsThis was given to me as a gift, excitedly. We sat down together and tried it and both were quite turned off. There was a complete lack of balance and the 3oz or so was tough to drink in a way that is like chewing in raw fiber. Then he told me the price…
Zack Klamn
542 reviewsNose – Cinnamon sugar. Pina colada, extra pineapple.
Palate – Delicious! A big bread pudding note. Grilled pineapple. Cinnabon cream cheese topping although a tad funky/sour (in a good way!). A bit of salted cod salinity/meatiness in the finish and the slight sourness persists. This description by zeepuzzler’s is spot on: “The mouthfeel is silky and astringent at the same time.”
This all sounds like an odd combination but it really comes together for me. I like this mezcal a lot.
Nose – Cinnamon sugar. Pina colada, extra pineapple.
Palate – Delicious! A big bread pudding note. Grilled pineapple. Cinnabon cream cheese topping although a tad funky/sour (in a good way!). A bit of salted cod salinity/meatiness in the finish and the slight sourness persists. This description by zeepuzzler’s is spot on: “The mouthfeel is silky and astringent at the same time.”
This all sounds like an odd combination but it really comes together for me. I like th
zeepuzzler
25 reviewsLot: ESPCAN1617. Bottle 391/1098.
This is one of the first bottles that turned me on to mezcal, and it has evolved into such a gem since drinking the neck. Aromas of crushed pineapple, new Converse sneakers, and various fruit drinks: Hawaiian Punch, Orange Julius, and limeade. The mouthfeel is silky and astringent at the same time. More pineapple on the palate, along with powdered sugar, cherries, and vanilla. The finish is pleasantly long with notes of green apple, petrichor, and traditional white birthday cake dressings (fellow reviewer “meserole” is spot-on with his comparison to Mezcalero No. 22.). This bottle spoiled me from the very beginning of my mezcal obsession.
Lot: ESPCAN1617. Bottle 391/1098.
This is one of the first bottles that turned me on to mezcal, and it has evolved into such a gem since drinking the neck. Aromas of crushed pineapple, new Converse sneakers, and various fruit drinks: Hawaiian Punch, Orange Julius, and limeade. The mouthfeel is silky and astringent at the same time. More pineapple on the palate, along with powdered sugar, cherries, and vanilla. The finish is pleasantly long with notes of green apple, petrichor, and tradition
Rakhal
421 reviewsLot: CANESP001. Most of the reviews here don’t list the batch number but I’m pretty sure this is the same one that “meserole” posted about because “powdered sugar, vanilla frosting, and wet stone finish” really describes this well. As I’ve been drinking through this bottle I’ve tasted all kinds of other notes as well such as mango, pineapple, raspberry, strawberry soda, calamansi citrus, No2 pencil, and dark chocolate. Complex and very interesting. Excellent Espadin!
Jonny
705 reviews47.3%. 2016/2017. Smells very citrusy with notes oranges, lime, and fruit punch. The palate has big fruits of pineapple and mango, mixing with raw sugar cane and bubble gum. This is a fantastic Espadin.
COak
228 reviewsDifferent than your typical espadin, in a really good way. Neta is putting out some of the best espadins I’ve tried lately. I get big red gum and minerals.
meserole
73 reviewsWoah! Super unique. My first try from Neta, and I was a tad nervous dropping $96 on the least exotic of agaves, but this became one of my favorites.
Super clean and bright, with a powder sugary, light sweetness that reminds me a bit of Mezcalero No. 22. Some birthday cake sprinkles, vanilla frosting, and a clean wet stone finish that lingers for a surprisingly long time given the overall airiness of the body. Love this one!
Meady
53 reviewsVery nice Espadin.
Aromas of citrus and vanilla.
Citrus continues on the palate sweet agave, smoked salt and a mineral finish. Nice balance.
Thick, creamy, almost silky. Glides down with no burn.
My first NETA and it’s solid.
ESPCAN1810; 46.1%
Safetyline29
8 reviewsVery approachable pure Espadin with hints of heavy citrus and cooked maguey. I am always pleased with what NETA does and this one does not disappoint. Insane viscosity, almost creamy with a definite velour finish. Highly recommended but based on the size of the production (031/100) you will probably never try.
GreenspointTexas
385 reviewsReally different profile for an espadin. Not for me.
t8ke
144 reviewsNo batch info.
Rich on the palate. Smoked salt, sweet honey and roasted agave. Faint faint red bell pepper with pepper and minerality. Really quite rich for an espadin. Pineapple note persists, making me sort of feel like this is the super upgrade to Rayu (similar profiles)
This is really quite nice. This is my first brush with Neta, but based on my notes and my comparison to it being a Rayu+, it should be no surprise as to why I like it.
TheAgaveFairy
169 reviews49.15%
Nose: Acidic, green espadin, with some of that vinegar funk I think might come with a long fermentation (raicilla is a different but similar acidic funk). Lemon WarHeads, mix of cilantro and mints, scallops, icing sugars. Busy nose! Bitter orange peel, allspice, some sweet mulch, all behind that Lemon WarHead body. Overripe pineapple / ester notes seem to slowly emerge to me.
Palate: More body than expected, certainly some acidity but not as wild as expected, though there is a sour liveliness throughout. Sour mostly on entry, then sweetness growing into the finish with some tints of bitterness and citric acid. Mint and (something sour) on the retronasal, with cilantro and a gentle and high quality white wine [vinegar] almost finish with some minerality. Smoke is quite low, though perceptable. Something lactic is present, not sure exactly what to call it.
Thoughts: Been recovering from a few weeks of illness and haven’t reviewed anything in 3-4 weeks. This is acidic without going too far, with complexity and good control. Post-review reading about this, and I was quite correct about fermentation times, and my hunch that they take care to cut quiotes for very ripe agaves with good resting periods seems confirmed, explaining the estery notes.
Conclusion: A lot of time and care went into this more extreme espadin, I think I’ll give it a solid 6/10. Would have to imagine this is a more divisive mezcal, but it would be so fun to pour next to another Miahuatlan espadin – (just did next to Vago Jarquin, hehe, quite different!).
49.15%
Nose: Acidic, green espadin, with some of that vinegar funk I think might come with a long fermentation (raicilla is a different but similar acidic funk). Lemon WarHeads, mix of cilantro and mints, scallops, icing sugars. Busy nose! Bitter orange peel, allspice, some sweet mulch, all behind that Lemon WarHead body. Overripe pineapple / ester notes seem to slowly emerge to me.
Palate: More body than expected, certainly some acidity but not as wild as expected, though there is a sour liveli
CampStars
11 reviewsThe price is right with this small-batch mezcal when so much love, time and labor are involved. I’m happy to pay for high quality and delicious mezcal. This one is about to blow up and it’s so deserved. I am obsessed!
El_Cura
31 reviewsVery good Espadin but overpriced.
Tyler
641 reviewsClean cinnamon sweetness like a Cinnabon from a 5-star restaurant. Lemony backend. Incredible velvet finish. One of my favorites of the five NETA releases that are in the US.