Edition 1, 2015. Bottle 188/612. Bubblegum, cherry, pepper, leathery, metallic. Unique and complex. Really love this one. Every sip there’s something new to discover. It starts fresh and fruity and ends leathery and more ‘heavy’, but it remains balanced from start to finish. Quite expensive but also quite special.

One of the best mezcals I’ve tasted, for a great price. Wet hay fragrance, soft smoke. Leathery notes. Absolutely delicious. Love the typical tepeztate finish. Has a bit of a clean rubbery smell/taste, which I often get with tepeztate, but which I really like. Perfect amount of sweetness, slightly bitter finish. Has a nice florality to it. Overall very balanced, yet very interesting. The journey from nose to finish is very different in every stage.

Rafael Méndez Cruz 23 2018 – bottle 181/670
Very interesting and strong nose – funky like a salmiana, grassy, clean and rubbery (in a good way)
Such rich flavor. For a mezcal with such outspoken flavors, it’s hard for me to describe. Slightly earthy, but not overwhelmingly. Sort of fruity, like papaya. Oily mouthfeel. Also has a bit of that clean rubberiness from the nose.
Finish is slightly bitter and savory, I guess that’s what people might mean when they say vegetal?
This flavor of this mezcal has been harder to pinpoint than in other mezcals. One thing is clear, however, which is that this mezcal is delicious. Super good stuff.

Ignacio Parada 13 2016 – bottle 28/650
Earthy, smoky smell. Nice oily mouthfeel. Tastes a bit fruity with some minerality. Finish is fresh, with a slightly bitter note like orange peel. Compared to the madrecuishe it has less minerality and more smoke. I get why some reviews speak of wet ash, because of the combination of earth and smoke, but it works for me.

RML-01, 2014 – Bottle 184/618

Nose of peanut, clay and some smoke. Tastes very savory, salty almost. Has some nice minerality, also peanut (or maybe tahin) on the palate. Slightly bitter, minty finish. The body is amazingly oily. Very warm and unique flavour. Overall delicious.

Practically no smoke on the nose. Very floral, scent of ripe fruit. Ripe banana stands out most. The taste is very unique and fruity, but not really sweet. Very floral, notes of lavender and licorice. Love its tropical fruit taste. Much like other mezcals I’ve tried, this one got better after sitting in the bottle for some time after drinking a few sips. When I first opened the bottle there was a strong ground black pepper aroma, which has completely disappeared after some time (both the black pepper and the current aroma is delicious by the way). I like this one better than the one from Oaxaca and as much as the one from San Luis Potosí.

Lot: P01-2016, bottle 894.
When I first opened the bottle, I didn’t really like it that much. The smell of alcohol really hit in the face. Letting it sit for a while, letting some air get to it, has softened the mezcal (in a good way).
The nose is not too outstanding. Tastes of fermented agave, with a tiny bit of sweetness and a hint of minerality in the finish. Overall a good mezcal, I just don’t think it’s made for me. It has a lot of heat. I thought it was quite expensive for the taste. I don’t mean to disrespect the mezcalero or the product, but I would have preferred a different bottle for the price. I’m not too sure if I can discern the pechuga in this mezcal. Would have loved to try this pechuga next to the regular espadín.

Edition 13, 2018 bottle 69/450, by Gregorio Martinez Jarquin.

On the nose: petrichor, wet clay, almost no alcohol, dried hay
Some minerality on the palate, but not as strong as on the nose. A bit dry as well, but very smooth, reminding me of white chocolate. Outstanding, such amazing nose and taste, yet very balanced. I think this might be the best mezcal I’ve ever tasted. The finish is slightly bitter with just a hint of salinity. The combination of the nose and taste is just so amazing, reminding me of summer rain and the countryside. Could drink this every day.

Lot 8. 46.9% vol.
Nose is slightly sweet, hint of smoke, balanced and inviting. Taste is also slightly sweet, not very outstanding compared to the nose. What really shines is the finish, which reminds me of licorice.

I’m not entirely sure if I’m imagining this, but I might have picked up a more slightly stronger yeasty nose than the average mezcal (in a positive sense).

This mezcal grew on me after a few tries.

LOT A2-04-El-19, 51,2%

This is a mezcal that puts a smile on your face. It’s very tasty, and it goes down surprisingly smooth despite a 51,2% vol. Also very good bang for buck, as it’s one of the more affordable mezcals available where I live (the Netherlands).

On the nose there is subtle smoke, or perhaps that’s the roasted corn. It has the right amount of sweetness to make it all well-balanced. Has a slight minerality to it. Not very complex, just absolutely delicious.