Vago Mexicanito en Barro is an incredibly rare mezcal from legendary maestro mezcalero Salomon “Tio Rey” Rodriguez in Sola de Vega, Oaxaca.
About this mezcal
Vago Mexicanito en Barro is made with agave Mexicanito (Agave Sp.) by Tio Rey in Sola de Vega, Oaxaca. This is produced in very small batches. The agave are crushed by hand and distilled in small clay pots. The first batch of this to reach the United States was just 57 liters, made in January 2019 and distributed to the Chicago area.
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 reviews47.8% Tio Rey of course, but tons of chocolates and toffee. Some peat is suggested by another taster, I could see some Caol Ila influences here. Or a Longrow Red. Cloves, cinnamon, plantain, white and light green teas.
Not as hot as most of his ensembles on entry, with a really rich texture and more sweet agave flavor than expected. Slate and chocolate and a little fig before going into a hot finish with some singed herbs.
COak
228 reviewsThis is similar to other Tio Rey ensambles I’ve tried. I also get notes of chocolate and mesquite wood on the tongue.
Jonny
705 reviewsChicago exclusive. Smells like cinnamon, sand, and dried lavender. Heavy slate, clay, and minerals on the palate. Light and floral but with lots of dry dusty clay and dust-in-the-wind type of notes. Leathery with a bit of smoke and mesquite, like bbq brisket bark.
Tyler
641 reviewsLight milk chocolate. A bit of peat. Not clay heavy or as rich dark chocolate as I expected but still enjoyable. His Tobala is still my favorite. This was the Chicago exclusive batch released in 2019/2020.
Nic Hnastchenko
108 reviewsLove some Mexicano, real treat to try this Mexicanito.