Recent reviews

Lamparillo by Gilberto Roldan. Neck pour: Sweet cooked agave, some smoke, jalapenos, serranos, apples, a pleasant lactic note that coats your mouth and it lingers beautifully. Phenomenal.

LOT: DS013-YC December 2023, 48.5%, BOTTLE No. 215/661

Nose – Funky, spicy, but also muted and sweet; piña colada, miso, coconuts, cloves, lumber, ginger, soy sauce, and craft glue.

Palate – Hot, spicy, tangy, and just so much flavor; passion fruit, fennel, cinnamon, ripe oranges, basil, grapefruit, some meaty oiliness like ham and mortadella, and some subtle nuttiness like pistachios and almonds.

Finish – Very saucy; bbq sauce, marinara sauce, raisins, mesquite, and some nuttiness like coconut cream.

Really good, I’m liking this a lot! So intense and flavorful. A fresh bottle offers a lot of punchiness. Cracked this open for a special occasion, but definitely gonna savor it for a while.

Bought a couple birthday bottles and found this for $110 which is an absolute steal imo. I’m not always the biggest fan of Mexicano independently but really love how it adds to the barril here. Definitely a bit darker of a combo but it works perfectly. Grassy, soil and karwinskii greenness complimented very well with the perfumey/chocolate vibe of the Mexicano and it’s very harmonious. Thick and smooth, so pleased with this bottle!

Bcx02-19
160/182

Tasted this one in Miami at Bakan in wynwood, solid selection there! The flavor here reminds me a lot of the Madrecuixe from Atenogenes, very green and vegetal and the smell is amazing on this one. Texture is really great too. A 2oz pour went very quickly lol

Nose – Clean but briny, earthy, and somewhat medicinal; warm and baked like banana bread, dark chocolate, and fresh coffee, with an overarching clean aroma that reminds me of a hospital waiting room, with some vinyl, iodine, office furniture, and some clean-nature, like river water, wet rocks, and houseplants.

Palate – Surprisingly light, but a vey funky and tart opening sip; cilantro, pool water, pico de gallo, mixed berries, with some vegetal notes of mint, tomato, and celery, with some sweet punchiness like caramel, honey, yogurt, with an overarching dry-unripe banana, plantain, and dark chocolate flavor.

Finish – Very light and thin, almost dry with a faint, tart sweetness; cranberries, carrots, tonic water, fruit rind, caramel popcorn, cacao nibs, and some light and smoky bbq sauce.

The glass aging has probably mellowed this out too much. A funky and bittersweet profile with a very light mouthfeel. It’s enjoyable to sip on and it’s fun to appreciate the craft that went into this batch, but unfortunately it lacks any punch which imo prevents it from being truly noteworthy. Bit of an impulse buy to finally try out this Mezcalero line; slightly underwhelmed so far.

LOT: B0059EB4220, 42%, 375ml

Nose – Rich and earthy; wet dirt, fresh cut grass, fresh laundry, pine, and some funky sweetnesses like mango, cream cheese, orange cream, and a typical sharpness like permanent marker to round it out.

Palate – Creamy, earthy, and a little fatty; unsalted butter, peanuts, a bittersweetness like fruit rind, and a tanginess like raw honey.

Finish – A little savory and vegetal in an abrupt finish; parsley, some bittersweet orange rind, and something smoky and tangy like a bbq sauce.

Great value and a good low-to-mid pick as a sipper. Worthy if it’s all that is available. Can appreciate the messaging behind the brand.

Vinatero: Lupe Lopez
Lot No: 02 / Batch Size: 50lts
May 2020
Bottle: 01/48
44.8% ABV
Ensamble: 33% Dasylirion Wheeleri / 33% A. Shrevei / 33% A. Angustifolia Haw

• Warming initial nasal impact and drying.
• Aroma: musty, chalky, tangerine, peppermint bark, guava, floral, smoky herbs, wet forest floor.
• Buttery mouthfeel with sufficient alcohol and drying sensation.
• Palate: chalky limestone, tropical fruit (kiwi, guava), ginger (that accompanies sushi), rosemary, mint, citrus, honey, slight hint of dill. On the retro nasal some coffee bean is present.
• Finish: long and harmoniously balanced. The finish on this is really outstanding. Nicely complex and overall impression is excellent.

I was really intrigued by the 4 different karwinskii plants here but I’m not super impressed with this bottle yet. It has an interesting texture, not as smooth as I expected and a bit harsh with the burn– but not like how I get with Rey Campero products lol. The flavor profile so far reminds me a lot of the mezcalero 18 and 28 bottles, very tart and almost like root beer bottlecaps on the front of the palate. It’s changed a bit since I’ve opened it so I’ll revisit as always if it gets better as I drink it. It’s a solid bottle but I was hoping for a bit more complexity and earthy, greenness.

AMA-01
Bottle 165
Purchased this for a steal at $80! I haven’t had too many cupreatas so was definitely interested given the rawhide fermentation method. A very light mezcal in my opinion and not too bold, which makes sense given the lower abv in comparison to others. Light and floral on the beginning of the palate but follows with the funk and cheese flavor that others have alluded to. The rawhide/leather smell and taste is present throughout but not overpowering. I dig it and I’m happy to have the bottle!

Been wanting to try this bottle before committing to buying it at a local spot and I really enjoyed it. It’s 41% largo and the karwinskii is front and center on the palate. Really nice complexity, a bit of burn in the middle followed by a nice fruit finish. Never had becuela prior to this ensemble and it’s a nice touch! Also 30 years to maturity for that plant— wild! Really great stuff!

They brought this pour out to me by accident (ordered a different RM ensamble instead) but I wasn’t made about it! I’ve had this agave combo before but not the RM version and I enjoyed the clay aspect of this one.
ARMLT-03
Bottle 184/282
I found this one to be a bit more fruit forward and the tobala was a lot more present, which I don’t necessarily prefer but this was really smooth. I love RM because the taste is so rich in their mezcals and the smoothness for the abv is really remarkable and this was in line with that. Solid bottle.

Batch VR.05.22.VM. This is a tasty Mihuatlan karwinski bomb. Nose of wet rain on cement, citrus, and red berries. This has the classic slate and minerals. It also has notes of raspberry, green apple, a hint of chocolate and a little spice. A sublime offering from Mezcalero Victor Ramos.

Nose is clean with notes of cherry and grapes. The palate has grape soda notes, and peppercorn. Not overly complex, has a short finish. Review on a tiny sample.

The nose has notes of herbal cherry cough drops. This is a delicate mezcal, notes of chocolate, cherry soda, and it’s buttery. There is a giant i’gok plant outside of the Durango airport if you’re looking for some seeds to grow.

The nose is amazing and inviting, notes of grape candy. This has flavors of cannibis, earth, and citrus tang. Nice expression of lamparillo.

The nose is delicious, creamy hazelnut coffee and herbal tea. The palate is earthy, herbal, spicy, and a bit of that creamy coffee. Just have a tiny sample, would like to try some more.

Really good capon’d espadin make great mezcal! Add a clay pot and I am in love!
There are two versions here, both same process/batch except for water source. Both are great.
Rio Chico water source–46.4%
Aroma is chalky, slight vegetal with dry dirt. Hmmmm, where is the clay and berry cream of many ancestral batches?
Taste is great with an exceptional viscous mouthfeel! Easy to sip with a burst of lime zest at the backend.
Finish is good and as it fades there is a sweet clay note, almost floral.
Really great!

Tierra Blanca water source–47.5%
Aroma has berries, cream, clay and is sweet with light tanginess.
Taste is great, very balanced, not as viscous as Rio Chico water source, but definitely sweeter.
Finish is incredible and steady, very long.
This is more “clay-pot” profile than the Rio Chico.

Heladio, please keep you experiments cooking! I love them.

Had a pour of this last night during dinner. Have had Mal Bien but not the alto before. Definitely a fruit bomb and the watermelon flavor is spot on. Some underlying cigar smoke similar to a chino and the Michoacán mezcals I’ve had in the past. Reminds me a lot of the La Luna chino and Bruto mixed together. Really solid 2 oz pour but don’t think I would buy a bottle when I enjoy a lot of other things Mal Bien does a bit more! Good stuff though!

This was my first bottle of Mezcal. Clearly this Mezcal is an acquired taste. I will probably never buy another Ilegal product after tasting this expression. The bizarre part was having to scrub the glass with soap to reduce the lingering smell.
I do not recommend for novices.

raicilla aroma notes. lactic wood bark. sweet cedar great tasty. guessing those 3 weeks of fermentation are shaping this one quite a bit. well balanced. the tequilana notes peak out midway in but its not reminiscent of any blues I’ve had.. overall delicious!