The varietal of agave used to make Vago Mexicano is native to not just the region or the valley, but to the actual hillside owned by the family producing the mezcal.
About this mezcal
Vago Mexicano is a unique mezcal because the varietal of agave used to make it is native to not just the region or the valley, but to the actual hillside of the Garcia-Vago team in Candelaria Yegolé, Oaxaca. Mateo and Temo Garcia are following in their late father’s footsteps, producing a mezcal unique to their home village.
Read more about Don Aquilino’s sons on 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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Tyler
643 reviewsAquilino’s Mexicano is legendary. This batch from his sons is interesting and very different. It is green and has a clove spice to it. A bit creamy. During the initial sips there was an odd Windex thing happening though. Can’t quite put my finger on it.. need to revisit and try other batches. 363 liters, 50.2%.
Jam
149 reviewsDidn’t get the batch number, 50.2% abv
Review #11: vegetal forward with green pepper and jalapeño, minerals and clay, then as it opens up some sweet corn and melon notes come out. It took some time for more flavors to come but it has decent complexity
GMAD
74 reviewsLOT A-07-M-20, July 2020, 51%
Nose – Springtime freshness and sweet nature. Butter, caramel, butterscotch, cinnamon, tamarind. An expected over-arching grassy and woodsy nose accompanies you throughout as well.
Palate – Overly ripe oranges – on the verge of rotting. Sweet with tons of funk. Tangy.
Finish – Really funky but sweet and hot; cilantro, orange blossom, Serrano peppers.
Warm, sweet, soft, yet very complex. It takes some time to analyze but each sip sends you off with a kick in the ass. It’s hot, so keep the water close by! Gotta love it. It’s a timeless offering from Los Hijos de Aquilino. I can only dream of what their father’s expression tasted like.
LOT A-07-M-20, July 2020, 51%
Nose – Springtime freshness and sweet nature. Butter, caramel, butterscotch, cinnamon, tamarind. An expected over-arching grassy and woodsy nose accompanies you throughout as well.
Palate – Overly ripe oranges – on the verge of rotting. Sweet with tons of funk. Tangy.
Finish – Really funky but sweet and hot; cilantro, orange blossom, Serrano peppers.
Warm, sweet, soft, yet very complex. It takes some time to analyze but each sip sends you of
Forpowder
79 reviewsLot A 06 M 19 51.4% initial Aromas out of the bottle are fingernail polish acetone but in a great way with a green tint. Taste of brined peppercorns and sweet acetone. Very clean finish hides the percentage well. Very light and complementing smoke at the end. There is tropical fruit flavors in there but they’re integrated in a way that they don’t really stand out everything Blends together amazingly well. One of my favorites.
MinorThreet
7 reviewsLot A 7 M 20
Nose: nice undertone of sweet fruits, with an upper end of citrus rinds and some salinity, bright green notes, and weird but like almost broken in catchers mitt kinda leathery notes.
Palate: nice prickly sweet agave note up front, some waxiness, sour tropica fruit notes followed by maybe smoky pear almost?
Finish: nice and mellow peppery tingle black pepper and a little chile with some very subtle smoke that builds upon itself , little but of a kind of earthy industrial note in their too welcome light funk nothing off putting. Finish wins me over on this. Great stuff.
Lot A 7 M 20
Nose: nice undertone of sweet fruits, with an upper end of citrus rinds and some salinity, bright green notes, and weird but like almost broken in catchers mitt kinda leathery notes.
Palate: nice prickly sweet agave note up front, some waxiness, sour tropica fruit notes followed by maybe smoky pear almost?
Finish: nice and mellow peppery tingle black pepper and a little chile with some very subtle smoke that builds upon itself , little but of a kind of earthy industrial note in the
Justin.Anderson3
14 reviewsThis Mezcal I had over the weekend. Im a lover of Wild agave expressions so was gifted this by a friend of mind. This has alot of character as far as aroma it brought out fruity sweetness, almost like mangos, along with that smoke.
The taste of this is also interesting but a bit different than other mexicanos i have tried. more on the sweet side, and long smoky finish. The after taste brought back some of that burnt charcoal which was not to my liking. To me this mezcal has a great beginning. This batch was a bit over roasted for my taste but overall an interesting Mexicano that you can appreciate.
This Mezcal I had over the weekend. Im a lover of Wild agave expressions so was gifted this by a friend of mind. This has alot of character as far as aroma it brought out fruity sweetness, almost like mangos, along with that smoke.
The taste of this is also interesting but a bit different than other mexicanos i have tried. more on the sweet side, and long smoky finish. The after taste brought back some of that burnt charcoal which was not to my liking. To me this mezcal has a great beginning.
Zack Klamn
542 reviewsLOT: A-7-M-20
Nose – Cotton candy. Sprite/7up soda. The smallest hint of smoked salmon.
Palate – Chili mangos. Rock candy. Sprite/7up soda (again). A slow build (heat wise) to a hot / vapory back end. A very long, smoky finish of anise, dark chocolate, sugar water and blackened shrimp shells (which seemed to become more complex the more I sipped on it).
This is quite an interesting mezcal which definitely shows Mateo/Temo’s promise!