Vago Espadin – Joel Barriga

Production date: May 2019
Batch size: 988 liters
I found the nose to be inviting with a funky sweetness to it like queso blanco in whey with sweet anisette. There’s also a vegetal note reminiscent of the leaves of a pepper plant. On the tongue it’s sweet, clean agave, some heat from the relatively high ABV (50.8%) and quite peppery with a touch of woodsmoke. It has a nice viscous mouthfeel but is relatively light bodied. The finish is caramelized cane sugar, soft lingering charcoal, and slightly damp slate. Very interesting and satisfying.

The bottle I have right now is by Joel Barriga in May of 2019. I absolutely love this espadin. It has a rich, dark, and fruity flavor to it that reminds me of a fruit-forward dark roast coffee. I have also had Aquilino’s espadin and although different, I’m a big fan of his as well. I’d like to get a bottle of Emigdio’s and Tio’s en barro espadin to try them all since they all seem to produce such great mezcals at an affordable price.

Edit: I was able to pick up a bottle of Emigdio’s espadin recently. I’m extremely impressed. Definitely a bit different. It has more of an herbal/vegetal taste than Joel Barriga’s. The mouthfeel is noticeable viscous as well. Tons of flavor. You definitely can’t get much better than this for the price if at all.

Joel Barriga, Oct 2018, 49.4%abv

The nose keeps switching back and forth between butterscotch and cheesy jalapenos (jalapeno poppers). The taste is buttery and green…jalapeno peppers, roasted agave, slight wintergreen mint, backed with some big caramel sweetness. The finish very vegetal but dipped in raw honey and sprinkled with black pepper. A bit hot like most Vagos but I expect it to round out a bit as the bottle volume continues to go down. Great espadin as to be expected from a Vago.

Edit: Recently grabbed a bottle from Emigdio Jarquin (7/2018) and it is a bit different yet just as high quality. Less butterscotch/caramel, more vegetal/fruity. Highly recommended and you can’t do better for the price, imo.

Joel Barriga, July 2018, 50.5% abv. Great for the money as usual with Vago.
Bold as usual, Vago and flavors galore. If I were to try and compare this to a tequila, it’d be Fortaleza’s blanco. But with big mezcal flavor of course. At first opening this, I found the flint and bitter aftertaste to be a bit rough. After a few days and pours later (more than 3/4 bottle remaining), it has balanced wonderfully.

Nose of cooked oily agave and flint and mossy flor. A bright hint of wood. Texture is medium. Dry mouthfeel. Medium-heavy body. Immediately taste a sweet and acidic rainwater on flint – but not quite metallic yet. Piney big agave. Minerality. Medium-long aftertaste that chases and tapers from flint, to wood, to rainwater. 4.5/5 with price ($50) and availability considered.

After tasting Aquilino’s mezcal Espadin for years, I was a bit hesitant to try the new release from Joel Barriga. Out of all of the Vago releases, the straight Espadin was my least favorite. I’d always opt for the Elote or one of the agave silvestre over the Espadin. Overall, I would give the Aquilino Espadin 3 stars, as it was a bit overbearing and harsh. The burn of that mezcal didn’t really pay off like the other Vago mezcals I’d tried. The Joel Barriga release, however, is quite a bit different. It still has the heat (50.4% ABV) that is a signature in all Vago mezcals, but there seems to be more of a payout in his release. It’s much richer and fruit-forward. The body is semi-viscous with notes of apple, anise, flint, mango, and pepper. The nose is clean and lacks the strong aromas that are present in most other mezcal that is this high ABV. If you see the Joel Barriga Vago Espadin, I highly recommend it. I tasted Lot: J-E-01-16.