This is a Gem.
I’ve visited the palenque of Don Alberto in early january 2018, his work is simply astonishing. The molienda by hand and the banana leaves he puts over his fermentation casks bring a truly special feeling to his art. Not to mention the Olla de Barros which he has always been working with.
They bring this clay like feeling on the palate that I’ve never ever tasted so vividly in another Mezcal. The sharpness and freshness of the Espadin is ever present and the length to it make it a very nice tasting Mezcal. Small batch and pure love into the production couldn’t give anything other than excellence.
Must try

Doesn’t taste like Mezcal at all, it feels more like a mildly smoky Tequila.
Decent in mixing drinks, but quite frankly lacking to make it a sipping Mezcal.
I truly have a problem with the nose on this one, which I thought disturbing at times.

I find this Mezcal to be an interesting experience everytime. I always get this excitement when the first floral notes hit my tongue. Then after only a few seconds you get into the earthiness and rustic territory which doesn’t last at all to end on a leathery and animal kind of feeling.
Completely unique, I’d give it 3 stars for the taste only. But the fact that this calls for trying it again and again and that unique feeling of tasting something special makes me give it a 4.

Smokiness in all aspects. Nose, mouth and length are all dedicated to it.
Which is fine, if that’s what you’re looking for. As a wine person to begin with, I’m always looking for different expressions depending on the terroir, you don’t get any of this in Vida.
It a decent mixing Mezcal, but I feel that lately the batches lack more and more in terms of pure sipping neat.

Unfortunately I don’t have the specifics of the batch I’ve tried at a local restaurant. But this gave me the chills right away. Very fine Mezcal, love the apple tastes you get, the smoothness and length it has.
Probably the best version of a Jabali I’ve tried yet.

Aside from Koch Espadin, this is my everyday Mezcal. Much gentler on the palate due to its lower ABV (40° in France) this nice balance between Espadin and Cirial give you everything you want for a sipping Mezcal. Light peppery notes, a bit of freshness and the kick of earthy and smoky feelings that should linger but not overwhelm your palate in any Mezcal.
Definitely a must for beginners and any Smoky Paloma fan out there !

DS001-0B 131/662 in October 2014
My first time trying it brought me much more pleasure, probably because I had some food to go with it.
Still, I very much enjoy the roughness of this Mezcal, citrus notes are predominent on the nose, with a bit of hint as to the fruityness that’ll follow in the mouth. The earthiness at the end doesn’t hide the taste of agave Salmiana which is a good thing. Overal a very solid tasting choice.

Tried the last 7 batches.
This is consistency at its finest. Simply put, this is the best quality for price Mezcal you can find, period. The work of Pedro Hernandez is second to none, its versatility in the cocktail world is bound to make it the go to Mezcal or every bartender to be.
When the entry price of a brand is at the level of a most high end tasting Mezcal, you know you’ve set foot in the right place.
Simply amazing. Couldn’t recommend it more.