Vago Espadin from Emigdio Jarquin Ramirez is made using a refrescadera still, which is somewhat common in the Ejutla/Miahuatlan region of Oaxaca.
About this mezcal
Vago Espadin from maestro mezcalero Emigdio Jarquin Ramirez is produced in Miahuatlan, Oaxaca. The maguey Espadin (agave Angustifolia) used in this mezcal is crushed by tahona and distilled in a copper refrescadera still. Emigdio is known throughout the region for his distilling expertise and all of his mezcal holds a high standard for the rest of the Miahuatlan region. Each batch may vary slight. Check your batch for details.
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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Golden_3lephant
7 reviewsLOT E-41-E-21
ABV: 51.3%
Nose: grassy, mild wintergreen, slight acetone
Palate: herbaceous, salt & brine
Finish: cloves, burn, more burn
Notes: Thoroughly enjoying this Espadin, not as minty as the Madrecuish, but it definitely brings the heat. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a well made artesanal mezcal without the smoke that doesn’t break the bank. at this price point it’s hard to beat.
GMAD
26 reviewsLOT E-28-E-21, 50.3%
Nose – Sweet and funky – cottage cheese, gasoline, wet asphalt.
Palate – Sweet, spicy, and sharp. Cinnamon and ginger, with a hint of banana.
Finish – Very hot; Serrano peppers.
A really good Espadin. Very tasty and interesting. The sips keep you coming back for more. Very hot, keep a glass of water nearby!
Forpowder
53 reviewsLot E-17-E-20 50.2% Aromas out of the bottle are well I don’t know practically non-existent. Acetone and the usual alcohol Aromas but very little else I get a green sweetness of agave but that’s about it. Flavors are mostly clean alcohol with different types of peppers white peppercorn green peppercorn and hot spices. This was a newly opened bottle I’m looking forward to it airing out some and trying it again. After airing out some I get mint and green Jolly Rancher everything’s pretty well mellow. Sweet bourbon like flavors come out after airing. This could be a highlands anyday. As the bottle aired out I think it improves and becomes a easy drinker
Lot E-17-E-20 50.2% Aromas out of the bottle are well I don’t know practically non-existent. Acetone and the usual alcohol Aromas but very little else I get a green sweetness of agave but that’s about it. Flavors are mostly clean alcohol with different types of peppers white peppercorn green peppercorn and hot spices. This was a newly opened bottle I’m looking forward to it airing out some and trying it again. After airing out some I get mint and green Jolly Rancher everything&
Daelm
2 reviewsLot E-10 – E-21
Newly opened bottle. 50.4%
Nose: Subdued. Really have to work to pull something out. Acetone is strong. Little bit of pepper, if you look for it. And a little “buttery” (?).
Mouth: Strong, sharp fruit flavours up front, but they disappear quickly. Very different to the nose and unexpected. Acetone is still there, but it’s embedded in a syrupy-ness. The acetone, fruit, and syrup are all compressed and feel muted compared to heat. Lots of heat in the mouth and on the finish. The pepper is less like black pepper and more like chili pepper.
This is good, for a mid-range, but it’s really one dimensional. You could call it balanced, but that balance really only consists of heat and sugar. It’s solid, simple, and functional, but not a lot more. Has a kind of hot purity.
Going back to the nose after tasting it, and the agave/sharp fruit flavours are much more present. Even the latter sips feel different. Maybe it needs time to open.
Edit: smelling the glass after, and there is some green banana and a faint mint that wasn’t evident before. Definitely needs time to open.
Lot E-10 – E-21
Newly opened bottle. 50.4%
Nose: Subdued. Really have to work to pull something out. Acetone is strong. Little bit of pepper, if you look for it. And a little “buttery” (?).
Mouth: Strong, sharp fruit flavours up front, but they disappear quickly. Very different to the nose and unexpected. Acetone is still there, but it’s embedded in a syrupy-ness. The acetone, fruit, and syrup are all compressed and feel muted compared to heat. Lots of heat in the mouth
Alt
4 reviewsEnjoyed this one quite a bit
Mezcal Mike
29 reviewsE-37-E-20
Drinking this one now. Quite drinkable for me and 50.7 has nice richness. Another reviewer thought it was funky but commented on how the bottle was halfway through. I’d have another taste of this one the next time I’m tasting.
agavejuicedrinker_410
1 reviewAroma of acetone, baby vomit, sweet cooked agave, butter, clean minerals, peppermint
Palate is fruity, marshmallow, mint, lively. Full oily mouthfeel.
A bit hot but balanced.
Really enjoying this bottle.
Rorschach
40 reviewsFirewater or Liquid Razorblades, take your pick. Not enjoyable. Plus there is a lingering funk that my guess would be from a dirty still, funky fermentation, ?? Rebrand it Puntas so I can avoid it.
Fortunately this bottle was under $50.
Lot E-37-E-20
50.7%
Halfway through the bottle it mellowed out quite a bit, but still got a lotta punta
aarild
150 reviewsAcetone and strong caramel nose. Mineral flavours up front. Boiled pear dessert with some cassia cinnamon and clove, sumptuous carrot cake minus the frosting. A bit too hot still, but I am glad I did not review it the first time, when the barman opened the bottle — because it is certainly improving. If it mellows out more, this will be an absolute top shelf espadin.
Dom
29 reviewsLot E16-E20
Nose starts off with black pepper & smoke and then opens up to a fruity smell with mint at the end
Extremely balanced taste of smoke, slight vanilla, bubble gum, slight alcohol. For the abv extremely sipe able & one of my favorites
James Christian
45 reviews4.5 easy. The taste for the price is amazing. Lot E5-E20
Not so much to tell on the nose. Subdued even with a tasting glass with maybe candy, banana and minerals.
For the price the taste explodes with minerals, cracked pepper (somewhere between green and black) and bell peppers for sure as others have noted.
Any time I see this I will just get it without hesitation.
SoloAgave
86 reviewsGreat price – great product. Nice mouthfeel, full flavor, deep, rich, mineral, and sweet. Something in the soil (calcium carbonate) according to Vago that has me loving everything from Miahuatlán. Coming in at half the price point of most offerings from this region this is a great buy. Tasted side by side with similarly priced Espadins and it really stands out. Lot E5-E20 668 Liters Feb.2020 49.7%
GeorgePBurdell
48 reviewsLot E07 E20
Nose is a bit shy but full of minerality and maybe some roasted pepper. Mouth feel is really nice, plenty of body but still light enough to dance. A little sweetness to balance the minerals, vanilla, maybe some caramel, some fruit of in the distance. Finish is nicely balanced and fades gracefully but not super long. Well balanced, easy to drink, but nothing really stands out for better or worse.
AndrewT
9 reviewsLot E-16-E-20.
Banana candy, graham crackers, baking spices. Nice oily mouthfeel with long pleasant finish. Light smoke. Not incredibly complex but very drinkable/enjoyable and unbeatable value.
spasta
22 reviewsGreat performer from Vago. I love this company. This espadin starts with some sweetness but mellows out with vanilla and smoke.
Zack Klamn
522 reviewsJune 2021
LOT: E-22-E-20
I really wanted to give this another try and bought this bottle. I sipped the other one earlier in the year over a few weeks so I figured the 2.5 star rating was probably low. OK, I was wrong before. This is a killer espadin especially when it’s less than $40 online some places in California. I’ll probably finish this bottle in a few weeks once again and pony up for another.
December 2020
LOT: E-08-E-20
Nose: Hint of caramel. Mostly peppery vapor.
Palate: Much more mineral than sweet. Punches hard midway through with every bit of the 50% ABV. Finish is beaucoup vapor, same minerality and a tad salty.
This is pretty harsh for the price point.
June 2021
LOT: E-22-E-20
I really wanted to give this another try and bought this bottle. I sipped the other one earlier in the year over a few weeks so I figured the 2.5 star rating was probably low. OK, I was wrong before. This is a killer espadin especially when it’s less than $40 online some places in California. I’ll probably finish this bottle in a few weeks once again and pony up for another.
December 2020
LOT: E-08-E-20
Nose: Hint of caramel. Mostly peppery vapor.
Palate: Mu
Rakhal
404 reviewsLot E-07-E-20. Emigdio has always been my favorite of the Vago producers. Tastes like Miahuatlán, is it the water?!?! Graham crackers, pound cake, pears in syrup, tahini, and white pepper. Kick ass Espadin!
donpedro
39 reviewsLote: E-19-E-19
Nope. Not the espadín I’m looking for. Really unenjoyable experience alongside the fruitier, brighter batch from Joel Barriga. This has increasing notes of burnt rubber, plastic, wet rag, and chemical funk. Really not my cup of tea. Harsh and unappealing.
TheAuditor
38 reviewsBatch:July 2019
Lot: E-19-E-19
ABV: 49.9%
Nose: Minerals, light earthiness, peppercorn, salt, roasted bell peppers,
Palate: Thick oily mouthfeel. Warm and dry. An explosion of lemon zest, peppercorns, light vanilla sweetness, slight blueberry and strawberry sweetness, mango sneaks in.
Finish: Medium length, tangy. Lemon zest, peppercorns, blueberry and strawberry, earth and minerals.
Simply delicious. This is up there with some of my favorite Espadins. Lots of fruits, good savory spices and some earthiness round it all together. The palate is just an explosion of flavors that make it a joy to sit and sip on.
Batch:July 2019
Lot: E-19-E-19
ABV: 49.9%
Nose: Minerals, light earthiness, peppercorn, salt, roasted bell peppers,
Palate: Thick oily mouthfeel. Warm and dry. An explosion of lemon zest, peppercorns, light vanilla sweetness, slight blueberry and strawberry sweetness, mango sneaks in.
Finish: Medium length, tangy. Lemon zest, peppercorns, blueberry and strawberry, earth and minerals.
Simply delicious. This is up there with some of my favorite Espadins. Lots of fruits, good savory spices and some
Meady
53 reviewsLot: E-14-E-18
Was expecting a little more from my first venture into the Vago brand (yes I get this is not the highest rated bottle but first impressions last).
Still, it’s not a bad espadin. Acetone and Light caramel on the nose, slightly sweet with hints of fruit on the palate. Has a kick though, which I don’t mind. Decent and can be a sipper but think I’ll be using this more as a mixer (mainly because I need room in the Mezcal cupboard for varieties I just need to try!)
Lot: E-14-E-18
Was expecting a little more from my first venture into the Vago brand (yes I get this is not the highest rated bottle but first impressions last).
Still, it’s not a bad espadin. Acetone and Light caramel on the nose, slightly sweet with hints of fruit on the palate. Has a kick though, which I don’t mind. Decent and can be a sipper but think I’ll be using this more as a mixer (mainly because I need room in the Mezcal cupboard for varieties I just need to try!)