Recent reviews

Review #100: The nose is very aromatic, buttery croissant, apricot, fresh honey, vanilla, banana bread, roasted nuts, cinnamon, sweet tobacco, and wet clay. The palate has more croissant, banana bread, apricot, peach, honey, milk chocolate, roasted nuts, and nearing the finish some cinnamon, moss, and clay.

This is one of the prettiest mezcals that I have had. The nose is so aromatic. It fills the air with this smell reminiscent of a nice cigar and a soft bready sweetness. The palate follows as expected, with a beautiful development from a light fruity sweet start to a more earthy and nutty finish. It’s both delicate but full of flavor. Truly amazing and a new ceiling for this kind of profile

Bottled: 2023
Primavera
Lote: 3
ABV: 40.3%

This was a random purchase and at first I thought a huge mistake. Strong prominent vapors of rubbing alcohol were all I could pull from it and the flavors were not much different. Initially this tasted like a cheap vodka but after a week of being open I was somewhat pleasantly surprised by the changes.

The nose became much sweeter, somewhat lactic and at least 50% of the rubbing alcohol vapors disappeared. The Cupreta flavors finally began shining through and while they never became totally distinct (or even all that pleasant tbh) it did become drinkable. When mixed with a zero-calorie sparkling lime water it actually became an excellent mixed drink.

The low ABV was always a factor; I never really got enough enjoyment from sipping it before I just quit drinking it stand-alone altogether. This is definitely a mass market product and a nice mixer that did improve with time however don’t believe I will ever return to it again.

Very interesting and different from Mezcal – this is lighter and thinner and reminds me more of moonshine (which I love) than what I typically sip on. Lots of corn and grain earthiness flavors and the finish stayed with me longer than I expected it to. Not something I would drink on a daily basis but a great historical and conversation piece nonetheless.

This was a really fun addition to my collection and like Pulque this is something that everybody should try at least once IMO. There is another Pox I tried called “Poxna Artesianal” that I liked a little bit better but it is not available to review on this website and I only had a pour of it so more research is still required for a full fair comparison.

Lot BSG001 from April 2016. Is there anything better than a mezcal from Don Beni? The answer is no. This mezcal is perfect. Aromas of dark fruits like prunes, blackberries, and cherries. This also has this grape/wine type undertone on the nose mixing with additional aromas of lime and Old Spice aftershave. The palate has notes of watermelon, cantaloupe, orange vanilla, toffee, and green coffee beans. This is phenomenal.

Series 7. Berta’s mezcal is very hit-or-miss for me, and this one…. is a hit. This has aromas of dry herbs, like spearmint, thyme, and bay leaves. There’s also a slight hint of wood on the nose, but not like burning wood, more like living giant cane or bamboo. The palate has notes of toasted nuts, flaxseed, and rolled oats. There’s some faint smokiness, like a nice hand-rolled Peter Stokkebye Amsterdam Shag cigarette. A note of brand new basketballs also sit on the tongue through the finish. This is really nice.

floral, i can see where some may get dryer sheets or laundry. nice super sweet candy like sweetness

009 masparillo
really interesting, heavy citrus and lemongrass, smoke in the background and on the finish

ed 15
very fruity, with a background of green flavors and a rock/mineral finish. my favorite of all the EJ black bottles

ARMA-04
clay and banana bread all day, really great mouthfeel as well

floral and fruit forward, big mango notes, great minerality… one of my favorites!

Nose – Cigar ash. Canned peaches. Half and half cream.

Palate – Creme Brule. A tad grassy. Quite ashy.

Nice sweet, creamy taste. Ash heavy notes through out (off balanced the wrong direction).

Nose – Very fruit forward. Tropical. Dried banana. Slight jerky note.

Palate – Dates. A bit too heavily perfumed, for a lack of a better term. I enjoyed this but I don’t think it’s particularly good for the price.

Batch: JALU1122. Wet earth and clay on the nose. Taste of dark fruit, holiday spice, sugar cookies and leather with a long finish.

This release from Revelador is one of the best Tepeztate mezcals we’ve tasted because it delivers layers of Tep’s unique aromas and flavors with rich complexity and balance. Per the label, these agaves are 25-35 yrs of age. We noticed grassy and green notes, on the nose with spearmint, and pickled ginger. On the palate, herbs, green bell pepper, cocoa, mint with just a touch of sweetness. The finish was long lasting with a buttery mouthfeel steeped in mineral notes. Well recommended. Edition: 1 Bottle 31/150

From the Cortes family of mezcals, Casa Cortes Espadin is a solid cocktail option, well priced with a sweet fruit and floral flavor profile, and medium smoke, and mild heat.

A classic cocktail mezcal, with heavy smoke and noticeable heat. Price point is a little steep compared to other options for cocktails. Cool label.

Nose: Right from the nose I get this plasticine and orange soda combo like sweet Play-Doh (in a good way!) White grapes and citron. Incredibly fruity start with some underripe mango and strawberries. Cooked lemongrass, agave, sage, and bell pepper bring some green herbal elements to the nose. Buttered popcorn, pine nuts, and sunflower oil. There’s also a lactic or fermented quality about this mezcal too. Pineapple, Granny Smith apple peels, pulque, and vanilla yogurt. A fascinating nose with much to explore.

Palate: Sweet and soft floral notes on the palate. Potpuri, marigolds, and bee pollen. More cooked agave flavors with familiar agave syrup sweetness. Pithy citron rinds bring a bitter quality to the glass with more green apple sour notes popping up alongside. There’s a certain bread or grain quality here too like sweet oat cakes. Herbaceous flavors come out over time as this rests in my glass. Parsley, basil, thyme, and even a touch of chocolate mint. Lastly rounding out a more vegetal note is some grilled asparagus with rosemary butter.

Finish: The finish brings all of those earthy clay notes I expected and a slight surprise. Dark chocolate and herbs like a smoking rosemary garnish in a cocktail glass. Mesquite, BBQ smoky wood, and ash flavors. Burnt toast and peanut oil fried hashbrowns. I’m getting more grilled lemongrass on the finish and the charred bitterness reminds me of cacao nibs. This is a nice change of pace with the more sweet flavors from the palate.

Batch Number: Release 2, batch JAEC1122.
ABV: 47.7%.

Slightly sweet, fruity (citrus) and a very gentle smoke. Like it.

Alipus is worth trying to taste how Espadin can be influenced by terroir. San Andres Mezcal is easy to drink and great as an introduction to mezcal, with sweetness and forward fruit notes, this is an easy sipping mezcal,

Beautifully balanced with layers of citrus, tea, and floral notes, with a great finish and mild smoke. Everything I like in an Espadin, and so glad to have tried it at my favorite bar in new york. It was bottle 95/150 of the first lot shipped to the US. Really well recommended.