Recent reviews
Read the latest tasting notes posted on Mezcal Reviews.
Batch# S0JC01-20 Bottle 199/720A
Sweet spicy and vegetal to the nose. Gentle smoke wafts over agave nectar, soft spearmint, licorice, ground white pepper, and a hint of roasted poblano pepper stuffed with sharp Cotija cheese. Quite sweet on the tongue, much more so than is typical with many Espadín mezcals I have tried. I get lots of agave nectar, mint, pink peppercorn, anisete, and char. The body is a little on the thin side but satisfactory. The finish is semidry, with a tannic quality that is reminiscent of oak despite this being a joven. In fact, the vanilla sweet, earthy smoke that lingers would make me think I detected a note of scotchy peat if I didn’t know better. The woody bitterness wins out in the end however.
Nose: 9
Taste: 9
Body: 7
Finish: 8
Light, green vegetables, herbal, medicinal
Roast: 4/10
Floral, chocolate, mineral, oily finish.
Roast: 6/10
Exceptionally balanced and drinkable! The aroma is good, clean with floral, minerality, river rocks, a hint of clay and light citrus.
The taste is solid with more minerals, mild bitterness, almost no smoke nor sweetness and good heat.
The finish is balanced, very long, great! Way to end 2022 Maguey Melate!
Vegetal, cabbage, roast, berries, nuts
Roast: 8/10
Funky, vegetal, mineral, fruit, leather, floral, earthy
Roast: 7/10
Green, mineral, tropical fruit, clay, floral, anise
Roast: 7/10
Batch from Ejutla. Fresh mint leaves and citrus fruit on the nose. Palate has orange zest, mint and a dry quality. As been said the finish isn’t very pleasant.
One of my favorites. More assertive than Del Maguey’s Wild Jabali which I also love. This seems more complex and in my opinion is all the better for that.
Bough this after having my mind blown by the Masparillo. This is not as complex and interesting for me, but still something rather special. Given a choice between the two the Masparillo would win for me, but I’d never turn this down. Discovered by chance that it pairs shockingly well with Gorgonzola; sounds odd maybe, but highly recommend.
Batch M7.
It actually took me three or four occasions with this before I liked it. Initially it was so packed with intense and complex flavors that it seemed almost like a perfume. There’s fruit, berries, essential oils, floral aromas, sweetness and a lot more besides. Once I had “adapted” it was fantastic, something really special. It’s almost a dessert. Cannot recommend too highly. It’s now easily in my top 5 favorites.
Batch 03.19.ER.MBT
Subtle nose for me; I didn’t initially get the cherry mentioned by others. Not particularly sweet, somewhat thin. Some pleasant heat, mint and pepper. Well balanced but not especially exciting.
Batch 04.20.JV.TX
Initially I was not too sure about this one. Upon opening the bottle I definitely picked up the mustiness mentioned by another reviewer — like a damp cellar or mineshaft entrance. Then there was the ashy or chalky dryness. Didn’t especially get the promised grassiness but there was some blue cheese dank in there. Overall quite savory and different from what I have been drinking previously. On the second time I tried it things seemed improved, so possibly it needed a little time to air.
Opens up with a little heat, but in a mellow and powdery way. Immediately passes into a floral, herbaceous fragrance and fills the nose with toasted winter herbs. Finally, it leaves the palate feeling clean and slightly sweet, with subtleties of sitting by the pool with a hibiscus mint tea.
Lot HBG-2019
Lot CHI-197 48% Aroma’s out of the bottle are mutued butterscotch and light Alcohol and smoke. Taste Follows The aroma with butterscott Prickly green flavors. Probably one of my least favorite Del Maguey Mezcals
This is pretty unique. I didn’t have an IPA next to me with this but I see how it would be complimentary. Hoppy agave on the nose. The finish has the bitter quality you’d expect.
Lote: 67
Nose – Sugar cookies, oven roasted green pepper, citrus and mild smoke.
Palate – Orange peel, cooked agave and a lingering smooth menthol mint finish with a hint of smoke.
Highly recommended for beginners or introducing people to Mezcal, especially for the price.
Very light smoke, has a floral almost botanical note followed by blue cheese and berries
VGEN01
The first (and I think only) blend- I wanted this to be good, but it seemed like a batch that wasn’t A1 but was released because it was interesting and, ultimately, they had it.
The nose is all espadin and Mexicano. Some alcohol too.
The palate isn’t truly balanced with the alcohol. It’s sort of sweet and extremely floral. I think that’s where everyone equates this with dryer sheets.
The finish, although lengthy, doesn’t really have focus. Maybe a bland hum.
Cool and interesting batch from an old school mezcalero for sure.
But not anything to throw money at. It was $87US.
An unmistakable clean, antiseptic quality on the nose. Banana leaf, palm fronds, and avocado oil. With even the briefest of rest times, the harsh alcohols fade away. Distinct dark cocoa powder aroma and cream-filled truffles. Tropical fruit peels and waste – Mango, peach, and lime. It’s a sweet nose but think of the more bitter notes from those fruits like peels, pits, and skin left over from your cutting board. Some sweet starchy vegetables like pumpkin and summer squash. Lastly, there’s a touch of seaweed and brine that ties it all together.
The palate is a sweet and fruity sip with a large dose of chili oil. The velvet texture has this mezcal clinging to your palate. Lots of fresh green veg – Cabbage, asparagus, green beans, and salted tomatoes. Sweet cream butter and hominy. Musk melon and honeydew. Yeasted fruit bread flavors with honeycomb, craisins, and dried currants. A woody element in the background reminds me of 2×4 pine lumber with a sap pocket. An earthy sweetness is how best I can describe it.
The “clean” component is back and the wood elements create a drying effect on the finish. It’s not as bad as other mezcals that have this quality but it certainly is not a favorite flavor profile. Thankfully it doesn’t last long and instead, you are left with a more palatable dried fruit flavor. Pineapple, raisins, dried coconut flakes. Mineral-rich water with calcium and slate flavors. The final characteristic of this ensemble is a slowly caramelized sweet onion flavor. It’s bright and sweet but brings a sharp bite that is much needed on the finish.