Mezcal Vago Tepeztate is made using 100% agave Tepeztate that is harvested from the nearby region. These batches are small and not always available.
About this mezcal
Mezcal Vago Tepeztate is made by Aquilino García López at his palenque in Candelaria Yegolé. This mezcal is made from 100% Tepeztate and is wild harvested in the surrounding hills of the Yegolé region. According to Aquilino, the maguey Tepeztate average 12-15 years to mature in this region. Because of the scarcity of mature agave, and the difficulty in harvesting them, these batches are small and not always available.
Read more about Mezcal Vago Tepeztate 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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JoeVandal
10 reviewsLOT A-13-T-16
May 2016
497 Liters
Real big. Cooked sweet agave, green bell pepper, slight alcohol on the nose
Minerals, earth, green veggies, leather, dry, cherries, cooked banana on a palate.
Pulled this one deep out of the cabinet and still loving it!
Americana Kyle
60 reviewsLOT A-09-TE-19 (Bottled exclusively for The Austin Shaker) / 50.7%
I have nothing further to add to @theagavefairy description of this expression. It’s quite phenomenal, one of my favorite “mezcal’s” ever.
GreenspointTexas
385 reviews87% Tepeztate/ 13% Espadin. Austin Shaker exclusive. Sweet yams and almonds. Some awesome bbq notes as well… oak, candied sugar, vinegar bbq sauce. This is fantasti
TheAgaveFairy
169 reviewsMarch 2016 53.1% – plant matter, warmth like cardamom, nopales, evergreen. mineral, roasted corn, peppery finish. classic profile for AG
May 2016 52.1% – earthier than ^, winter squash sweetness, herbs, lime peel, heat, simpler. good texture and sweetness, chalky hot finish. solid, hot. least fave.
July 2018 50.5% – more San Luis Potosi salmiana side of things – fresher nightshades, a touch of honey. ancho, tomatillo, hoja santa, anisey nearly, cayenne. low heat, low amount of ‘chemical notes’. complex, intense, a touch of hit, finish is almost too paprika driven. interesting one, could be divisive. i liked it
A-09-TE-19 for The Austin Shaker 50.7% – store pick, uncertified batch; “big, wet, juicy”. [water]melons, fresher limes and honey, little touches of warm spices, rye grain, lime candies, a little mint, hoja santa. still full texture, juicy, honey and lime finish with more hoja santa on the finish. i really like this one – i have related biases. my favorite, though it doesn’t quite taste like the others
March 2016 53.1% – plant matter, warmth like cardamom, nopales, evergreen. mineral, roasted corn, peppery finish. classic profile for AG
May 2016 52.1% – earthier than ^, winter squash sweetness, herbs, lime peel, heat, simpler. good texture and sweetness, chalky hot finish. solid, hot. least fave.
July 2018 50.5% – more San Luis Potosi salmiana side of things – fresher nightshades, a touch of honey. ancho, tomatillo, hoja santa, anisey nearly, cayenne. low heat, low amou
HighWine
76 reviews80% Tepeztate 20% Espadín
368 Litres, June 2018
Subdued aroma of wax, honeycomb, and mulberry leaves
Medium-light bodied. Starts off thin but has a lightly pleasant viscosity that reveals itself mid-palate.
In the mouth I get nail polish remover, fresh mint leaf, custard, pepper, and pine.
El-Dawg
209 reviewsA-2R-TR-18 (80% Tep, 20% Espadin)
Smell is green and tep-like. Taste though seems a bit watery and light (says a lot considering it’s 52%). There’s definitely tepeztate notes in there, although not as strong or pronounced as I prefer. Light cream and maybe some custard notes. I do love teps, and wanted this one to be excellent.
Review #117
Wanderingspider
53 reviewsWasn’t able to get the lot or year and I only had a 1/2 oz sample but here it goes..
Interesting nose of flowers, celery and what I want to say as fresh artichoke??
The mouth feel was warm but distinctly full, more on the viscous side.
Very pretty to say the least. Wish I had had more try!
COak
229 reviewsLot A-23-T-16 Aqullino.
Sugar cane and green peppers on the front and jalapeno heat on the back.
12/29/18. 80% Tepeztate 20% Espadin blend 4.5 I liked it more than the 100% Tepeztate bottle. Aqullino knows what he’s doing, blending in a small percentage of espadin into some of his wild agave bottles, like he did with his Mexicano in 2014. Upper echelon Tepeztate.
9/3/22. November 2018 bottle. Incredible. Spicy fruity bomb with greens.
Tepeztate is Aqullino’s best version of mezcal imo. Looking forward to trying the sons version.
Lot A-23-T-16 Aqullino.
Sugar cane and green peppers on the front and jalapeno heat on the back.
12/29/18. 80% Tepeztate 20% Espadin blend 4.5 I liked it more than the 100% Tepeztate bottle. Aqullino knows what he’s doing, blending in a small percentage of espadin into some of his wild agave bottles, like he did with his Mexicano in 2014. Upper echelon Tepeztate.
9/3/22. November 2018 bottle. Incredible. Spicy fruity bomb with greens.
Tepeztate is Aqullino’s best version of mezcal imo. L
PhilBrunski
25 reviewsHands down my favorite. The nose gives you green olive brine and a caramelized funk that translates to the palate along with hot green peppers and a beautiful heat that never burns. This one changes and opens up as it sits in your glass and will sometimes give you a basement musty-ness that compliments the other notes. This is my desert island mezcal and I always plan to keep at least 2 bottles around.
manthunder
1 reviewCertainly not worth the 90 spent. Dry and complex, but without radiance. These flavors are not especially fun to parse through without a glass of water or topo Chico.
It is definitely sophisticated, very solid mezcal overall, but a slight miss from the always interesting label. This was distilled a year ago in Dec 2016. Hot at 51.6% and obviously so, with subdued hints of green spectrum, from pine to bell pepper. Some insectoid and sugarcane notes. Grumpy about my wallet, but tasty enough to session en copita.
Certainly not worth the 90 spent. Dry and complex, but without radiance. These flavors are not especially fun to parse through without a glass of water or topo Chico.
It is definitely sophisticated, very solid mezcal overall, but a slight miss from the always interesting label. This was distilled a year ago in Dec 2016. Hot at 51.6% and obviously so, with subdued hints of green spectrum, from pine to bell pepper. Some insectoid and sugarcane notes. Grumpy about my wallet, but tasty enough to ses
Tyler
643 reviewsYummy tepextate from Aquilino. There are soft peppers and floral agave on the nose. Velvety mouthfeel. There is some saltiness with the spice on initial sip. I get notes of firewood, charred fruit, and hot peppers. Once you ease into this mezcal you notice an array of botanicals. Very tasty and not too overpowering considering the strong ABV. This review is for LOT A-08-T-16 which is 53.1% ABV.
Jonny
708 reviewsLot A-08-T-16. Made by Aguilino Garcia Lopez. Very clean on the nose and fruity in taste. The spice doesn’t overpower it as it does other Tepeztates, and it’s very high ABV. There is some copper in taste with notes of jalapeno, smoked green pepper, leather, and baked banana leaves. This is one of my favorite Tepeztate mezcals. It’s very hot, and very good.
Keith
35 reviewsLot A-08-T-16, 53.1% ABV, Aquillino. Minerality, green grapes, green olives, green chilies, light floral background, smoked brisket, prickly pear BBQ sauce, leather, campfire smoke. Spicy & substantial; more food like than beverage. A wonderful mezcal.