One of the more complex espadíns I’ve had. Full mouthfeel, good structure. A bit burn, but not unpleasant. Light honey, banana cream dessert, smoke, some anise, herbal and nutty notes like there was some Tobaziche in there. No batch, but a recent import so probably one of the later ones.

Pine needles, resin, like a sotol, but as cagliostro states, it gains a rich fruitiness after letting it sit in the glass for a bit. Probably more or less same batch. Unripe mango, lime peel, fresh coconut, macadamia nut. Full bodied, not quite integrated alcohol, but pleasant still. Very good.
BXCEL1906, 46,3

Really nice for the price. A bit like Union but it has more mouthfeel and bite. A bit strong alcohol vapours, but nice balance of fruit, spice and nuttiness. Fried banana, lemon rinds, baked agave, and cinnamon. Probably a very recent batch, as it was opened upon my ordering at a bar.

This the most fabulous salmiana I have ever had. Someone said, very enthusiastically, that it was like eating a burger with jalapeño and cheese, and there is some truth to that in my mind.
There is a vegetal quality over the aromas, a bit vague first, but you slowly get the notion of green bell peppers on a hot barbecue. On the palate, there is first jalapeño and vague lactic notes reminiscent of cheddar, but then suddenly there is an explosion of flavours coming on – cookie dough, cinnamon, guava, pear, dates, belota ham, green poblano chili, honey and a light touch of barbecue smoke. Great mouthfeel, minerality and viscosity. The very best from Campanilla, but alas a pretty rare batch. Hopefully, this family is in it for the long run. Lot ENDEU, bottle 21/38.

Intriguing nose, Madagascar green peppercorn, vanillin and lightly charred pinewood.
Cocoa nibs, vague citrus peel notion, cooked agave, coco nut rinds karwinskii flavours. Really nice ensamble, first time I get to compare karwinskii and rhodacanta in one ensamble (I think).

June 2021 batch, 14/78
On the nose I’m pretty blown away by buttery toffee aromas, with some herbal hints of astringency and ash. Very intriguing.
The palate initially offers some vegetal fruitiness of guava, then leather and tobacco. After two seconds you really get into deep, viscous flavours of cocoa butter, roasted coffee beans, kalamata olives, allspice and artichoke. Incredibly oily mouthfeel and lingering aftertaste. I really love this one, and hope that Neta will keep working with these two guys. Try it if you find it!

Lote AE-004, edición especial, Espadin-madrecuishe-bicuishe. Very floral nose, honey, smoke and slight whiff of dust. Delicate palate blending candied tangerine with macadamia nuttiness, custard, lime (key lime pie??). Well structured, well rounded aftertaste. Not sure if this really should be reviewed with the regular ensamble edition, but it’s indeed Alipus ensamble from San Andres — very similar label design except from a shape more in line with their other special editions. I had the one pictured above a few years ago, and the one reviewed here is like a more refined version, richer in mouthfeel and without any bite (if my memory does not fool me). Could not find any info anywhere on the web, but if you see a slightly different label version, go ahead and try it. The mezcaleria where I tried it was a bit puzzled by not finding it listed anywhere but this was their first import of Alipus. As usual, great price point.

Leather, bright tobacco, flint and muscovado sugar aromas. More of that muscovado on the palate, earthy, clay but also some bright, grassy fruit like a slightly unripe mango, the fruity Ceylon cinnamon flavours you get when you grind a stick over an orange slice. More spices, buttery shortcake with ginger and cloves. An abundance of chocolate covered dried strawberries.
Just a slightly unpolished alcohol edge between this one and a full score. Amazing craftsmanship as usual from Lalo.
Lote D-01-19

The nose is fantastic. A very rich aroma sneaks into every corner of the room after five minutes in the glass, smelling like sweet woodruff, vanilla, roadside wildflowers by the coast on a summer day, freshly made marzipan.
On the palate, I get dry roasted pistachios, pomegranate, peeled cucumber, Ceylon cinnamon, a very light smoke and incredible nuances I really cannot decipher.
Very well rounded and structured, long aftertaste and medium to full mouthfeel. It is like an explosion of flavours I associate with Middle Eastern/Levantine/Persian pastries, only with that brilliant, fruity agave freshness and herbal qualities making it incredibly pleasant to drink. This is among the top five experiences of anything I have ever tasted, to be savoured in tranquility.
Lot 01CHMDEU, bottle 27/36

Clay, vanillin and dry hay on the nose. On the palate Brazil nuts, pineapple, cantaloupe melon, sour candy, some funk. Quite similar to Real Minero’s Barril, but more balanced and structured.

Lot “VEDEU”, bottle 27/54
Mineral, vegetal nose, ethyl acetate (a bit like pear and/or apple flavoured candy), eucalyptus, the smell of a sizzling clay bowl padrón chilies, straight from the oven.
On the palate: Parsley and lemon rinds – gremolata! – peeled cucumber, guava, discreet and not too sweet candy floss. Towards the end cactus fig/prickly pear, really long aftertaste. Nice minerality and very light smoke.

Thoughts: I have never had a tepextate/marmorata that was clay pot distilled, but I would imagine it would be a bit like this one. The flavours remind me quite a bit about Rey Campero Tepextate apart from the latter being smokey. Generally, this is rounder and more structured. Great bottle, very special.

Lots of woody, dusty loft on the nose, some acetone, some subdued pineapple fruit with skin, cucumber peels.
Lots of the incredibly rich and fruity flavours of Ceylon cinnamon that I associate with maguey chino/cupreata from Michoacán, some orange peel and berries from the maguey alto? Eucalyptus, tangerines, watermelon, subtle smoke. Excellent introduction to Michoacán mezcal.
Lot 9, 50/50 Alto/Chino, 46,2V, wooden “Filipino de madera” still.

A bit lactic funk on the nose, dusty loft and the whiff of a bag of pecan nuts being opened.
This is my first tobaziche that has been distilled “con refrescador” and what an effect it gives. Lots of fruits, quetch plums, quince and baked agave, some nice minerality. There is also leather and bright tobacco, a bit of Brazil nuts. Well made! Reminds me a bit of Del Maguey’s Wild Tobaziche

Woody and herbal nose indeed, slight whiff of nail polish remover that evaporates quickly, sour and unripe cherries. On the palate, there is a certain bitterness that stings a bit. If you don’t mind that, and the fact that there is a bit alcohol burn you’ll love this. On the palate, there is also lots of tropical woods, reminds me of a bar that used wooden tiki mugs. A bit coconut with brown skin, hemp ropes (yes, I have tasted that…), dried epazote. Really intriguing tastes, there is some sweetness I think will develop more with time and oxygen. I’ll try to come back for this when the bottle has settled.

Distinct smell of green gooseberry when you pick them on a hot summer’s day. Amazing thing with mezcal: It brings up some memories…
Lime as in the fruit and lime as in limestone, a bit quince, very characteristic tobalá. Well integrated alcohol. A bit leather, and carrot cake frosting. Nice!

Lime peel, wet slate and the smell you get when you open a bag of dark muscovado sugar.
Chewy mint toffees and paraguyano peaches on the palate, eventually the Cupreata gives some green vegetal flavours making you think Michoacán. I do love the Ánimas lineup, great quality for the money, and this could be their best. Consistent quality without being boring is also an art, and to me they have proven that through several years now. A bit tacky label artwork though…

Aloe, sweet lavender soap, dried woodruff and a hint of smoke on the nose,
Loads of white pepper on the palate at first, with cooked agave and clove — very much a tequila profile at first. Finish has more of the aloe and coumarin/woodruff. Light in structure but pleasant. Absolutely worth a try. Couldn’t see any batch info on the bottle

Not very much smoke on the nose, but there is raspberry, a bit tar, leather, bright Virginia tobacco and grapefruit peel.
I can agree on the macho, leathery, deep flavours on the palate. Wood, Brazil nut, pecan, almond. Boiled cherries from a pie, brambles, succade (candied citron peels) and lychee. Cinnamon, cedar and coconut with brown skin on the finish. Alcohol is integrated, and it has a nice, pleasant structure to it. Needs to be savoured early in the evening.
Delighted to find this! But unfortunately the barman threw away the bottle as I had emptied it, so no lot. I suspect it had been opened for a while, not a typical place to sell much mezcal. Furthermore, I don’t think LMDW still sells it (august 2022), not sure if DM still produces it at all. But what a treat.

Very light hint of smoke on the nose, herbal and vegetal aromas of cut grass and boiled artichoke. Well rounded, with a bit viscosity. Tastes like a caramel/toffee with mint oil, white asparagus, green bell peppers or perhaps fresh poblano. Flavours are really nice; although it lacks a bit of structure I’ll give one extra star for value. It is among the cheapest out there and would be a very nice introduction to cupreata. Very available in northern Europe it seems, but hard to find any info about the producer. Lot MTLT01.

Floral and delicate nose, hints of coumarin and granite rock.
The palate is slightly subdued for a second then bursts into tarragon, those small wrinkled olives, Parmesan cheese rind, peach pits — it’s uncanny how it briefly reminds me of an old style Peach bitters from The Bitter Truth. Leather, allspice, tobacco. Fantastic mezcal, all the flavours just wait quietly in line. Well integrated alcohol, bold Albarradas signature of mineral stone fruit.

A few years ago I thought the Albarradas’ mezcales from DM a bit thin and subdued, they now really shine. Compared to recent batches of Jabalí from Rey Campero and El Jolgorio, I think they have gone another direction while this is more accomplished and well structured. Lot JAB-191.