Recent reviews

Series 6, March 2021, 46.8 or 48.8%(?), K&L Exclusive

Nose – So fresh, earthy, and natural, but still having a lot of punch; fresh cut grass, lemon trees, wet dirt, fresh produce, and river water with some driftwood mixed in.

Palate – Tangy; but think vegetal with the slightest touch of citrus. Like a green-juice sweetened with honey, plus some individual notes of cabbage, lettuce, green peppers, carrots, sugar cane, and the sweet citruses, like a few slices of ripe oranges or some mandarin tangerines. This is like that Japanese side salad that comes dressed in a sweet orange-based vinaigrette. Absolutely sublime in Mezcal form.

Finish – A very long, mellow, bittersweet and tangy finish; fresh ginger, grapefruit, and some orange rind.

So good. Absolutely delicious. Had to get this one uploaded to sing its praises! This was an old batch from K&L that came and went. Sadly it seems this release never got much attention, but for me it instantly became one of my all-time faves! Rare 5-star from me. It’s how I was introduced to Maestra Berta Vasquez and I’ve been in love ever since. Try it if you can… hopefully there’s a case of these lost somewhere in K&L’s backrooms because I would like another!

Lote MCPC-01-1 48% Aromas out of the bottle or sweet cotton candy but then you’re hit with a sourness and a blue cheese funk. I’ve been sampling the capreatas from different companies over the last week and this one is nothing like I would have expected from this agave. This one reminds me more of a raicilla more than anything else which are not my favorite expression so I’m not going to give it a very good rating but I think other people would like this too stinky for me flavors follow the aroma. No smoke the more this bottle opens up the cheesier it gets and stinkier I’m not sure I’m going to be able to get through this one. Okay this one’s too much for me I don’t know if it’s my palate or what but this tastes just like what diluted menorah smells poop like there’s no way I can drink this bottle it smells like the worst feet and poop ever sorry

Nose: Berry fruits, kiwi, tangy and sour, as it sits I get some slightly cheesy elements and a bit of mint, you can tell this had a longer ferment,

Palate & Finish: Fruits on the front of palate, a bit of banana, ripe strawberries, then the clay and earth comes in, ripe tomatoes, bbq sauce, a bit of parmesan, really nice clay minerality on the exit. wet red soil, gravel dust, cocoa powder, and charred peppers to finish it off

This stuff is very good. I’m partial to clay Americana and this lives up to my expectations. Plenty of fruity, earthy, and some of that long ferment tanginess. Great pick from MM.

Being from the same town I can’t help but compare this one to the 5S Alberto Sierra Negra bottling. By themselves they remind me of each other but tasting them together brings out some really cool differences. This one leans into the earthy cheesy side while that is like liquid fruit punch.

Found this over in Spain. Very surprised with it. Wonderful aromas with a very sweet taste. Smooth at the end that disappears nicely. Will keep an eye out for it again.

Appearance
Color: Medium gold
Viscosity: Medium
Legs. Film on tasting glass turns into a curtain and finally legs after 15 or so seconds.

Aroma
Caramelly, cooked pineapple, herby, faint hints of phenols. Medium alcohol.

Flavor
Agave: cooked, caramelly, moderate sweetness
Alcohol: medium low, Smooth
Smoke: Light
Finish: Lingering sweet caramelized pineapple, herby, floral. Roasted bell pepper notes very late in the finish
Balance: On the sweet side with interesting agave character

Mouthfeel
Bod: Medium-full
Alcohol : Medium

Overall
An outstanding mezcal with interesting caramelly quality blending well with herby and floral and fruity agave notes. Despite color, there’s no oak, just wonderful agave notes

Lot: ALRI-03-21

Appearance
Color- water white
Viscosity- medium
Legs- forms a thick layer and eventually runs into thick legs

Aroma
Cooked agave, pineapple, honey, hay. Light hint of smoke with alcohol at med-strong intensity

Flavor
Agave: Caramelly, light bell pepper, fruity
Alcohol: Smooth but assertive
Smoke: Low, in the background, but with phenol notes popping later in the palate
Finish: blend of sweet cooked agave and herby , fruity fermentation notes
Balance: well executed balance of agave alcohol and smoke.

Mouthfeel
Body: med full
Alcohol: med, spicy

Overall
Outstanding Tobala. Wonderful agave flavor and light smoke make this a mezcal worth seeking out

Lot: ALRI-01-21

Appearance
Color- Water white, clear
Viscosity- light
Legs- Form late into thin strands

Aroma
Rather soft, Cooked agave, Herby, Spicy alcohol

Flavor
Agave: cooked agave up front, med lo
Alcohol comes in quickly with a burning spiciness
Smoke. Very low
Finish. Lingering alcohol burn and spiciness
Balance. Everything’s fairly low, missing smoke / ferment

Mouthfeel
Body. light
Alcohol. Fairly strong

Overall
A decent mezcal, but not too interesting. Alcohol is the dominant component here, low on smoke/fermentation complexity. Not great on its own, but decent for mixing.

LOT: MAGIC-011

Batch 01MADEU, bottle 4/30, 2018.
A gullet racer with the speed of light! Can’t say I found it ridiculously complex, but it has a pleasant aroma and high drinkability. Chocolate has bogarted the dancefloor and occasional streaks of radish or anise nudge the palate.

Batch ENDEU, bottle 34/38.
Vivacious and bodacious, this one is not to be missed. A waft of green pepper and perhaps an additional hint of fermentation (could not put my finger on it) make for an exquisite smell, but the taste is where this truly shines. Orange rind (blame it on the Cuerno – had a bottle of that one and the orange rind went through the roof), cucumber, green pepper, cheese, jamon, mango, and a slight bitterness in the end. Sometimes it seems more than slight, but I am glad to note that it never gets overwhelming and you can chew on every single sip for a long time. Got so hooked on this Ensamble that I had to secure several bottles of the stuff, and if there are any left anywhere, my claw will find its way to them. Seems that the very particular production process and the addition of pulque work wonders.

Lot No: ESPCLA2105 May 2021, 29%, 077/264

Nose – A mellow sweetness. Butterscotch, baking spices, pencil shavings, some rubber, and a bit of nuttiness like vanilla extract.

Palate – A lot of savoriness to it; salinity with some bittersweetness. Seawater, charcoal, dark chocolate with sea salt sprinkled on top, salted mixed nuts, buttermilk, and some fresh mint and basil.

Finish – Briny and somewhat seafoody. Mussels and oysters, with an earthy minerality like wild mushrooms, and a salty herb, like oregano.

Good! Very savory with some smoke and the smallest bit of initial sweetness. However the overly savoriness surprises me considering this is a Capón. I expected there to be a more riper and sweeter body. Regardless, still fun to sip on!

Lot: RAMB202301, 49.3%, Bottle number 164
Destillation date: October 2022

Nose – Musty, rustic and moldy; earthy with a little bit of rot. Wet wood, bananas, cheese, a little funkiness like feet and dried fish, with an over-arching briny sweetness, like ginger.

Palate – A subdued but funky, earthy and vegetal sweetness. Canela, raw sugar, cilantro, mango, and orange marmalade, especially the little bitter pieces of rind.

Finish – The funky sweetness continues; lots of agave present. Dark chocolate-covered raisins, plums, bananas, almonds, and some wood, like when you chew on a toothpick too long.

Really good and interesting flavor! One can appreciate the craft that went into making such a tasty final product. However, after sampling many claypots thus far, I’ve come to the conclusion that the funk and earthiness isn’t my palate. I just wish the flavors and intensity of the Tep would’ve shined a bit more in this.

52.7% abv, Feb, 2021, Bottle 40/380

Picked up this bottle at Ramirez Liquor in LA. Hot, hot, hot. Wow, the alcohol burns my nose hairs and makes aromas hard to pick out. I had to switch from a glen cairn glass to a regular copita. Same strong heat on the palate, but the flavors do come through. Banana, clove, freshly banked cinnamon buns, Big Red gum, the heat hits in the front and works all the way to the back. Not harsh, but fully present and demanding of your attention. The clay is hard to pick out, but there are some earthy elements here. Worth checking out.

70 liter batch, distilled Nov. 2021 Did not catch the abv, 48% madiecuixe, 40% espadin, 10% bicuixe, and two percent jabalí

I tasted a slightly different ensemble that has two percent of jabalí, A 1.5 ounce pour at La Popular in Claremont, CA. Grass, plumb, hickory and karwinskii forward then the espadin takes over. Nice sweetness and heat in the mid palate. Gumdrop on the backend. Great spice, clove, spearmint, and cinnamon. Really delicious and balanced.

46% abv Lot: PE18

Saltwater taffy on the nose and the palate, palate also has some mild spice, mint and herbaceous qualities, grapefruit pith. Solid sipper and mixer. I am always a fan of the one liter bottle, great value.

Lote: DBY14/21 Botella: 4141/6500 44% Alc/Vol. From Yautepec, Oaxaca.
Sweet and smoke in perfect combo. Mezcal made for a long friendship. Too good for coctails in my opinion. Just sip this net.

Lote: DE 01/22, 46%

Nose: Punchy and lactic, a strong alcoholic aroma; glue, permanent marker, cherries, mint, pine, lemon, cleaning liquid, and some acetone to round out the intensity.

Palate: A deep, dark body; a little bittersweet. This is like a red wine all the way, with some ripe plums, grapes, mangoes, and the unwashed dirt from all the fruits. A bit of a subtle, meaty oiliness as well, kind of like a ham, bologna, or mortadella.

Finish: Woody with some bittersweetness; raw honey, dark chocolate, cough syrup, raisins, mango peel, and some orange rind.

Good; a very interesting Espadin! Reminds me so much of the Derrumbes Oaxaca expression: dark and woody. However I like my Espadins more on the bright and citrusy side, so this took some getting used to. Always fun to try a different take on these agaves to appreciate the styles of all the different Maestros.

i agree with the other reviewers.one of the best espadins i have ever sampled.very soft but not short on flavor.honey and chocolate pudding.gentle smoke and mild finish.goes down like water.dangerously good!

May 5 2021 liters 351 46.9% aged in glass one year . wow Aromas out of the bottle are a strong one on this one almost gin-like flavors with a lot of berry and green fruits very little smoke very little out alcohol Aromas. Flavors swallowed a suit with the same types of brown and green gin-like flavors I think this is my favorite from this company so far. I will say the finish on this one’s powerful give it a fist up.

Lote CUO 1/22 47% No other information on bottle sampled on 6/9/2024. The Cupreata’s that I’ve been sampling of late are all over the place and this one’s no exception. The Aromas out of the bottle are Browner than most almost like cooked Brown tropical fruit and spoiled agave with just a bit of sourness no smoke or alcohol flavors are really present. Flavors mostly follow the suit with spiciness Brown tropical flavors roasted fruits some of stingent sourness on the end and a pretty quick finish. This one is lacking the fresh tropical fruits and concentrates more on the dark earthy flavors and spices

A good cocktail mezcal. The barril flavor (coppery, green vegetal, nail polish remover) actually comes through pretty nicely on this one, and blends well with the smoky fruitiness of the espadin. I would suggest it’s sort of indicative of what blends can be if we ever need to “cut” other agave types with espadin due to sustainability.