Recent reviews

in order: sweet BBQ smoke, warm coals, honey, truffles and blue cheese, ripe stone fruits and overripe bananas, smoked fruits and The Meats, trail mix, exotic spices, pepper and clay, smoldering ash, olive brine

Shimmering blue and green with a punch of pink and red.

This is a really good agave spirit with good heat and a fantastic finish.
The aroma has rock candy, mild salinity, some tropical fruit and green grapes.
The taste is “darker” than the aroma with minerals, soil, some pepper and a hint of clove.
The finish is where this one shines…it’s crazy long with good heat and more good flavors!

This comes with a bonus bottle by Noel. It is also really good but so different than the Pichomel.
Aroma has salt-water taffy and peaches.
The taste is thin but good with river rock, pepper and light vegetal.
The finish is good with medium heat. Also 3.5 stars

first time to sample a lamparillo.the nose was spicy and sweet.lots of black pepper.like entering a spice store that was next to a bakery.the palate is complex.angel food cake without the icing and a strong wave of black pepper.the finish is medium in length.very controlled and pleasant heat and a very nice anise finish.i am ok with the anise if it isnt overbearing.very unique.not an everyday sipper but a nice change and treat.was hard to find but worth the effort.

Batch: 1120FRM
I really liked this one. I feel like there are different flavors than a lot of other Espadin. More on the vegetal than fruity or sweet side, I mostly got fresh asparagus, some funkiness and a little vanilla. Sad when this one was finished.

Don’t have the batch number…. tried recently at Mexico In a Bottle, Match 2023 (I assume this was the latest batch)

VERY nice Tep! Outside of the Sotol, this was my favorite bottle on the table. Spearmint, clay and cream are spot on from HighWine’s review. I thought perhaps more clay and leather as well.

The crazy way this bottle got into existence is worth seeking it out, as well as the flavors. Well done.

I don’t have detailed tasting notes… tried recently at Mexico In A Bottle, March 2023 in DC.

Capable espadin for sure. For me, it had a lot of the same profiles as Vecinos, which I consider a pretty middle-of-the-road mixer at best. While this is definitely better than the Vecinos, I didn’t find it had a lot to say or a lot of character.

Smooth, easy drinking… a tad oily palate.. just not my jam for an espadin.

I don’t have detailed tasting notes here.. I thought this was a very solid Sotol and my favorite bottle from Erstwhile (I tasted the entire line-up at Mexico in a Bottle, March 23 in DC)

Definitely, a brand to watch in the future.

DS010-M
This is more of a middle of the road mezcal. It’s got smoke and fresh tennis balls. Hot and spicy on the finish. It’s not complex to me, but not boring either.

Agave Mixtape – Vol 9a /
Papalote 50.5% alc./vol./
Ciro’s last batch

Lot 4, April 2018, bottle 117 of 800.

This one is different. Before tasting I’d read there was mint. But I didn’t imagine it would be too pronounced; mint is there in Del Maguey’s Chichicapa but I always found that subtle. But here, there is definitely mint, especially when the bottle is first opened.

It wasn’t until the third or fourth tasting that I got my brain dialed in to the mint and started to enjoy this one. But once there, it’s really rather excellent. Previously I’d had it alongside other agave spirits but I think it needs to be drunk solo to really get properly acclimated. And it’s not just mint — there’s a lot more going on. Herbal, sweet, a lovely rich mouthfeel. Definitely a cool agave spirit to have in the collection.

RAI-JUL-001 From 100ml sample. Aroma is vegetal, green banana custard, light sweetness. Taste is hint musty with a subtle dried fruit as well. Finish is minty. I’m new to enjoying mezcal and this one was fun to sip and try to dissect. It didn’t blow me away but it was interesting and I’ll save a decent sample to come back to later.

A bit muted nose with some dust and acetone, wet birch trees. Orange peel, cocoa nibs, Brazil nuts, a bit woody. Unusual profile, reminds me about mezcal from Tamaulipas, with a hint of woody madrecuixe. Nice.

Lot PED-PUN-001. 60% abv.
Aroma: Spicy Aroma with jalapenos, pine, and flamin hot Doritos.
Taste: Super concentrated flavors of peppers, citrus, pine, oyster brine, chocolate covered peppermint, cinnamon and cloves. This wallops you over the head with concentrated peppers and spices. But the oily texture helps prevent the harsh burn expected for a 60% abv Mezcal. It also has the deep umami in the finish that complements the initial sweetness.
Overall: Incredible Mezcal – one of my favorites.
Score: 9.8/10

Really Good and balanced Cenizo from Durango. The aroma is very light overall. There is some minerality with light sweetness.
The taste is really balanced with a blend of earthiness and sweetness.
The finish is good, with even heat lasting quite a while.
Just overall really good!

Lot DAN-CEN-001. 46.4% abv
Aroma: Jalepenos mixed with smarties candy. I’m also getting some floral notes and a bit of lactic funk.
Taste: Citrus and plum along with some dark chocolate. I get some minerality and mint on the finish.
Overall: Very enjoyable and well rounded flavors. Nothing too crazy here, but it’s a solid mezcal for sure.
Score: 8/10

This bottle was 48.65% abv coming in with the green, herbaceous bright vegetal notes. Perhaps the abv, but this had a stronger and more pronounced burn with less flavor concentration than other Tepeztate I’ve tried. This was served in a shot glass vs. a wide copita so perhaps that contributed to the burn.

It’s great!

Lot 60, bottle 454.

Tropical fruits and vanilla for me on the nose and palate, some sweetness. I don’t get a lot of smoke or spice. Nice mouthfeel, viscous and soft. An elegant and very drinkable mezcal. I like it a lot. Would buy again.

This was my first time trying a Cupreata – mild floral notes, incredibly light almost watery. The low abv is felt immediately but can feel diluted, longing for more nuanced flavors. Nice to have but I likely won’t return for this batch.