Vago Espadin from Joel Barriga was originally released in late 2016 as a way to allow Aquilino to focus more on his Mezcal Elote and work with other agaves.
About this mezcal
Vago Espadin from mezcalero Joel Barriga is produced in Hacienda Tapanala, Oaxaca. Joel is Aquilino’s cousin and his family has also been making mezcal for many generations. Aquilino worked with Joel for several months to ensure that Joel’s mezcal Espadin would be similar to his own. His agaves are crushed by tahona and double distilled in copper. This is now a regular Vago release.
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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Ben P
110 reviewsLot J-02-E-22 ABV: 50.5%
Nose: fruit on the nose, peaches, melon, sage, lemongrass, pear
Palate: soft mouthfeel, plums, mamey fruit, honeydew, moving toward the finish I get some minerality and light clove spice. Finish is citrus rind, white pepper, slate
Consistent, available, and well priced I always appreciate Vago. I prefer this over the other Vago Espadins I’ve tried. Not all that complex but well rounded and solid.
Golden_3lephant
8 reviewsLOT J-02-E-22
ABV: 50.5%
Nose: bubble gum, sweet & fruity, slight acetone
Palate: grass, earth, minty heat
Finish: herbal tea, mild smoke, salinity, long lingering heat
Notes: not my favorite Vago bottle. Joel’s espadin comes off as a bit hot compared to the higher proof Emigdio Jarquin offering. Don’t get me wrong, it’s enjoyable… but I think I’d like it more if I had not tried any other Vago. All the fruit on the nose is totally absent in the palate. I wouldn’t discourage anyone from picking up the Joel Barriga espadin but there are better ~$50 bottles. not disappointed, but definitely not wow’d overall.
edit: added half a star, bottle has opened up a bit, flavor is definitely sweeter & more mellow than initial tasting
LOT J-02-E-22
ABV: 50.5%
Nose: bubble gum, sweet & fruity, slight acetone
Palate: grass, earth, minty heat
Finish: herbal tea, mild smoke, salinity, long lingering heat
Notes: not my favorite Vago bottle. Joel’s espadin comes off as a bit hot compared to the higher proof Emigdio Jarquin offering. Don’t get me wrong, it’s enjoyable… but I think I’d like it more if I had not tried any other Vago. All the fruit on the nose is totally absent in the palate. I wouldn&
Forpowder
79 reviewsLot J-01-E-21 50.1% Aromas out of the bottle are very subtle slate, wet dog, watery watered down alcohol and plastic phenolics. Flavors bring on a spritsy Candy like texture to your mouth and fades away rapidly and leaves a sweet aftertaste in your mouth. Really hides the percentage well. No smoke or fruit flavors are really detected in this one. I think once this one airs out some it’ll be a great bottle for the money.
Mezcal Mike
29 reviewsLot J-10–E-21
Another nice one from Vago. Tasting this one in a flight against the emigdio jarquin espadin, also Vago, then the Rey campero cuishe, closing with Madre mezcal’s espadin and cuishe ensemble. I highly recommend it. I can’t remember how I rated the other vago but this one is a leg up. Exceptionally smooth at 50.7, has a bourbon sweetness to it. Broad texture, leather fade.
Dom
29 reviewsJ-07-E-20
Notes of vanilla, mint, & cracked pepper. Great after taste & a steal under $50
GeorgePBurdell
49 reviewsLot J-04-E-20
Tropical fruit and salt on the nose. Palate adds in spearmint and cooked agave. Wet stones on a hot medium finish
JDB
165 reviewsJuly 2019 Batch, 50.7% alcohol, Batch Size 1095 liters.
Lots of pineapple on this one, front and back of the palate. For a high abv, smooth and not much spice. Gets hotter on repeated sips, but still very fruit forward.
SoloAgave
86 reviewsSweet and savory – great Espadin expression at 50% abv priced under $50 you can’t go wrong. Lingered just long enough – didn’t get any harsh alcohol burn at the higher abv and the flavors are not watered down in any way.
Nickwrobison
12 reviewsLot J-13-E-19, Jan 2020
Slightly on the greener/herbal side for an espadín. Dry, limestone notes.
Zack Klamn
542 reviewsLOT J-10-E-19
Nose: Sugary sweet and a hint of sea salt. Red nail polish.
Palate: Chocolate mint. Cigar ash. Great peppermint heat for a near 51% ABV – nailed it. Finish is salty, earthy and warm in the tummy. Only knock is a somewhat of too medicinal aftertaste.
An absolute steal at under $45.
MezPal20
11 reviewsProduction 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.
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 slig
Rakhal
421 reviewsLot J-12-E-19. Candy corns, wet dog, spearmint, vanilla, gun metal. A pretty good Espadin but my least favorite of the tasting.
James
9 reviewsJoel Barriga, 49.9%, 1001L Batch, Nov 2019, LOT J-11-E-19
A good and strong Espadin. Salty, mineral, coffee, agave, pine, something of a viscosity and sweetness to it. A little hot. Good bottle, would love to try another batch at some point, and to explore Vago’s offerings generally.
donpedro
39 reviewsSeptember 2019, 748 L, 49.9% ABV
The nose is a bit reclusive, with moments of ocean breeze and sweet roasted agave and fruit. Spicy and bright on the palate with nice sweetness. Some mint and anise, but minimal. A bit hot, but not overwhelmingly so. Great roasted agave and saltwater taffy finish. A really solid bottle of espadín.
Eric_M
7 reviewsThe 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.
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 b
Spirit_Chaser
20 reviewsJoel 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, 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 Va
hoboman
3 reviewsJoel Barriga, 50.7% ABV, May 2017
First mezcal I ever tried, and still the best. Sharp, crisp smoky flavors, agave forward, almost no alcohol heat despite the higher proof. I can’t quite pick out individual flavors in mezcal the way I can tequila or sotol, but this is still very, very good.
pallzley
16 reviewsJoel 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.
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. Textu
Nic Hnastchenko
108 reviewsFrom Mezcal Masterclass – Espadin at Todos Santos.
Joel Barriga – Really solid for an espadin, was going for something fruity and this fit the bill.
TheAgaveFairy
169 reviewsJoel Barriga 50.87%, 662L batch, from Dec. 2017 LOT J-09-E-17
Vegetal! Green! Surprisingly silky and sweet, huge vegetal notes and some florality emerge with scant peppery notes riding on top of the dark smoke adding liveliness. Some of that ‘hot rain on cement’, but overall just nice green espadin. Grape leaf, poblano.