Vago Arroqueno en Barro is distilled in small clay pots in Sola de Vega. This process gives the mezcal a round texture and strong notes of wet clay.
About this mezcal
Vago Arroqueno en Barro is made in extremely small batches by Tio Rey in Sola de Vega. Tio Rey uses the traditional method of hand-mashing the cooked maguey Arroqueno (agave Americana). He then ferments the agave in a century-old fermentation vat that was carved from the heart of a single tree by his grandfather. Typical to Sola de Vega, Tio Rey distills this mezcal in small clay pots.
Read more about this release on Mezcal Vago’s blog Mas Mezcal
Vago Mezcal
Mezcal Vago began when co-founder Judah Kuper visited a hospital in Oaxaca, Mexico. He fell in love with the nurse who treated him. Her father, Aquilino Garcia, was a sustenance farmer who also produced mezcal. Judah and Aquilino, along with Judah’s longtime friend Dylan Sloan, launched Mezcal Vago. In 2013, their first exported bottles arrived in Texas. Each of their mezcals is produced naturally in a traditional palenque with no additives. The brand aims to empower both the master craftsmen with a celebration of his art. Also the consumer by giving them the knowledge they need to find a great mezcal. The brand plants 3 agaves for each single agave they harvest. Their goal is to end the use wild agave by 2025 for most of their releases.
In 2017, Mezcal Vago began using different color labels for their different mezcaleros. Emigdio Jarquin (blue label) distills in copper with refrescador. Aquilino and Joel Barriga (tan and gold labels respectively) distill in copper. Tio Rey (red label) distills in clay pots. All their mezcaleros use different water sources and make different distillation cuts. In 2018, Mezcal Vago established an investment partnership with Samson and Surrey. With the new partnership, each Mezcal Vago mezcalero has a stake in Samson and Surrey.
In 2021, Mezcal Vago went through its first major brand redesign since their launch in 2013.
Learn more Mezcal Vago:
- The Mezcal Vago Tasting Room in Oaxaca on Mezcal Reviews
- A podcast interview with co-founder Judah Kuper on Show de Vie Podcast w/Mike G
- The Mezcal Vago blog Mas Mezcal
Review this bottle
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TheAgaveFairy
169 reviewsHot, ha. But, oh, that slate and earth and depth and lots of chocolate wafers (Nabisco). Just, really dominated by his style. Some purple skittles on the finish. I’m not sure I’d care to hunt for this when his ensembles are around.
Tyler
641 reviewsClay-heavy. Tasty. Dark fruit. “Muddy” in a good way. Very enjoyable but I like his Tobala more in terms of single agave mezcals. Similar to the 2019 release. This review is for the August 2015 release; 92 liters.
GreenspointTexas
385 reviews2019 distillation. Real straightforward… not sure if its just real simple or my taste buds are fried because its the end of the night. Enjoyable but will revisit
Jonny
705 reviewsLot S-27A-15 from August 2015. 92 liters in the batch. 52.2% ABV. I’m a big fan of agave Arroqueno. It’s one of my favorite agave, and I was extremely excited to try this one. Don’t let the 3 stars fool you, this is still a very good mezcal, I’m just super picky, especially when it comes to Arroqueno. The nose of this has lots of clay and notes of wet earth, and the flavor notes match the aromas. This is definitely a step up from the Vago Espadin en Barro, as it’s more complex, but it’s a little hard to justify given its big price increase over the Espadin en Barro. The notes of clay overpower this batch, and I don’t get as much of the Arroqueno complexity that can be found in other Arroqueno mezcal that is distilled in a copper still. That said, it’s super rare. So it’s definitely worth trying if you get a chance.
Lot S-27A-15 from August 2015. 92 liters in the batch. 52.2% ABV. I’m a big fan of agave Arroqueno. It’s one of my favorite agave, and I was extremely excited to try this one. Don’t let the 3 stars fool you, this is still a very good mezcal, I’m just super picky, especially when it comes to Arroqueno. The nose of this has lots of clay and notes of wet earth, and the flavor notes match the aromas. This is definitely a step up from the Vago Espadin en Barro, as it’s m