ESPAM 04-20, April 2020, 45 Litres. 54/59. 45.74%

Not overly complex at first but over time transforms into a rich and flavourful expression. Beyond the subtle waft of rawhide funk, the nose and palate are interchangeable. Grape cotton candy, stewed plums, sour taffy, black pepper, cloves, cardamom and vanilla suggest a Norsk gløgg for the holidays. A spice bomb of dark fermented fruits. Silky soft. Lingering dry heat and cocoa powder on the finish. What a treat.

Batch 009, 2021, 80 Litres. A. shrevei. 51% ABV.

Thanks to Jonny for solving the mystery of Aciano’s clay and copper batches (see updated description); and cheers to the few that have his clay pot. To those that have his copper batch shrevei (a first for me) take your time with it as it continues to improve long after opening. The closest comparable would be Zack’s “mint heat the whole way and quite dry”. The nose and palate are interchangeable with subtle notes of acetone, vanilla bean, pomelo and raw greens. The finish is rich in alkalized cocoa, Smarties shell, chlorophyl Certs, black pepper and rubber sneaker. Note, the taste will stick with you, even the day after. Wild.

CH01-19CA, May 2018, 300 Litres. Bottle 75/163. 46% ABV.

Don’t let this linger on the shelf — shifts to the extreme within months of opening. Early on it was like stepping into a euro-deli with notes of blue cheese funk, strawberry preserves and Juicy Fruit. Now it’s more like a trip to 7-Eleven with cloying notes of sour funk, cream soda, McCormicks Marshmallow Strawberries and red Twizzlers. Almost too funky. Would do this over to get that cheese shop vibe again.

CY-01/10, 2010. Don Fernando Damián. 526/1238. 48.5% ABV.

A tasty time capsule from 2010, scored in 2020! Like future versions, this batch has prominent aromas of butterscotch, ripe banana, leather funk and aftershave. Tastes like Rum & Butter candy bar, maple syrup, bitter celery, mint toothpaste and black pepper. On the finish, acetone infused cherry Nibs and cloves. The clay pot softens the fusel bite. Was never a fan of Nibs or Rum & Butter but this combo works!

JB01-19CA, Oct 2019, 170 Litres. Bottle 101/110. 45.7% ABV.

A gentle spirit compared to Sergio’s beast of a tobaziche. On the nose toasted caramel, egg white foam, lemon dish soap, acetone and spoiled fruit. Has that familiar lactic umami quality that I get from jabali. Other notes: salted caramel, Honeycomb cereal, walnut ganache and bitter almond. Finishes with a sweet and salty burn, cloves and natural latex. Doesn’t come out with a bang but still rocks!

Lot DS018-J, Sept 2020. Bottle 692/871. 48.6% ABV.

Nothing subtle about this batch! On the nose, cantaloupe, Chinese egg tarts and summer sausage. Has a rich, lactic, umami funk that seems common to jabali. Add burnt milk, sourdough, salted taffy, pickle brine and Dutched cocoa. Insight I can’t take credit for: Yeasty (CasaDeGuero); Tamarind (Tzotolline); Jalapeño (Tyler). Fusel burn ends in vanilla extract and raw greens. A seventies time warp. Wood panels and orange carpets.

TB01-19CA, Nov 2018, 100 Litres. Bottle 03/101. 57% ABV.

At 57% this batch from Sergio is a beast, and as Jonny stated: “Uber complex”. Opens with fresh tobacco, cigarette foil, roasted agave and grape Kool-Aid. A touch gamey, perhaps from the two bulls that crushed this (?) The palate is much the same with acetone-infused baked custard, shortbread cookies and liquid menthol. The finish has a lot going on. Sweet, salty, green, slate, gunpowder, fresh inner tube and lingering fungi. Note: 10-day fermentation.

TP01-19CA, Feb 2019, 38 Litres. Bottle 15/36. 48% ABV.

The imagined odour of mimetic polyalloy (T2), faint pickle brine, citrus fruit and grape cotton candy. Buttery soft palate, Rum and Butter candy bar, maple dipped brussel sprouts and mint toothpaste. Nice burn in the middle that lingers on the palate. Dry green pepper, salty acetone, bittersweet milk chocolate, lychee jelly cup and mildew on the finish. Shape shifts like a T-1000. Amazing end to end.

Lot 01. Bottle 179. 43% ABV.

Patrick’s review of this bottle is bang on, so my notes are more supplemental. Despite the lower abv this release is full of flavour. Early notes read like a kid’s dispensary: Maltesers, Whoppers, Nestlé Quik in cold milk, marshmallows floating in auto-dispensed hot chocolate — any combo of malt, milk and chocolate. Cocoa dust, raw greens, mildew and cloves on the finish. I’d love a version of this with more bite!

Harvest 2015. Bottle 243/612. 55% ABV.

Todos Santos is one of those bottles where you struggle to capture the nuance and before you know it there is nothing left to explore. As mentioned by others, notes of pink bubble gum are prominent throughout. Less noted: a deep umami base and a siren song of effervescent heat. I had other notes but Pedro’s aged-in-glass heat is where this really shines. If I were to enjoy this again I’d think less (cost value) and feel more.

Edition 21. Harvest 2017. Bottle 525/580. 48% ABV.

This was my first bottle of El Jolgorio and it rocked. On the nose, baked custard, green pepper and aloe vera. On the palate, banana cream pie, rose water and Dutch(ed) cocoa. The finish is sweet and salty with lingering jalapeño, black pepper and floral undertones. My sister-in-law suggested Thrills gum (O-Pee-Chee) which I remember as being both spicy and floral. A lovely aromatic bouquet from Pedro Vasquez Ogarrio.

Batch XJM03-19. Bottle 14/230. 50% ABV.

Looks like recent batches, this one included, have improved on earlier expressions. On the nose, ripe fruits, mint and raisin butter tarts. On the palate, caramelized sugar (the brittle top on a crème brûlée) sourdough bread and a drop of white balsamic. The finish has a floral aspect (more like a perfume) with black pepper and a lingering algae funk. Jorge Mendez adds a splash of petrol and fresh inner tube to this tasty brew.

MK006/17ARR. Adrián Bautista. 46.67% ABV.

This bottle starts out slow but improves over time. Subtle smoke with notes of mint, sourdough and caramel on the nose. On the palate, a generous helping of brown sugar, fried celery and bok choy. The finish is savoury and sweet with a hint of spoiled fruit. Sparse info for this 2017 batch. A delicious and inexpensive arroqueno. Curious how the producer sustains both quality and value for harder to find varietals over time.

TO01-19CA, Nov 2018, 102 Litres. Bottle 66/82. 50% ABV.

Another winner from 5 Sentidos! Aromas of purple grape soda are prominent alongside ground cloves and cinnamon. The palate is rich in brown sugar, sour plum, black pepper and licorice. A low menthol burn follows with more purple grape soda and black soil. Note, ground encino de agua bark and potatorum-seemanniana were used to make this batch. A stellar clay pot from Alberto Martinez!

Batch XJM27-17. Bottle 280/1330. 50.5% ABV.

It took some time to really appreciate this bottle. Notes of acetone, ripe bananas and mint penetrate the nose. A rich blend of oven baked custard, Kraft caramels, Brussel sprouts and black pepper numb the palate. The finish is tangy and sharp with a splash of unleaded colas, natural foam rubber and moist compost. A tasty high octane expression from Jorge Mendez.

PA01-19CA, Nov 2018, 122 Litres. Bottle 29/70. 48% ABV.

A pungent buttercream bomb with a side of banana cream pie. Like sipping a smoothie of fresh Belgian chocolates, malted milk, ripe bananas and toasted butterscotch. The finish is long and savoury with a dusting of cardamom, mint flavoured Tic Tacs, lychee jellies and black soil. This juice dropped me into the mezcal omniverse. Even the resulting evaporate is a fresh summer breeze. A blast from Delfino Tobón!

Batch AE-XXSLB. Bottle 001/600. 46.4% ABV.

This bottle tends to shift as you make your way through it, especially on the nose: Early on it’s French crêpes and maple syrup, then raisin toast and plum pudding, now ripe cantaloupe and vanilla ice cream. On the palate a tasty lactic flavour adds depth to notes of brown sugar, Portuguese egg custard, and green banana. The finish is spicy and floral with black pepper and damp moss. A delicious ensamble from Don Baltazar!

MP01-19CA, Nov 2019, 120 Litres. Bottle 89/98. 48.8% ABV.

It took a few pours to wrap my head around this bottle. When first opened, a notable funk like “reptile terrarium” wafted up and out (incredibly, this batch was fermented in rawhide). This eventually fades to fine Italian leather as other notes emerge like Campbell’s tomato soup, ripe bananas, citrus, and mint. The palate is rich in brown sugar, chocolate, sourdough, ancho chillies and other spices — like a saltwater sponge toffee dipped in spicy mayan chocolate. The finish is long and savoury and ends in sugar snap peas. Stunning from start to finish. An easy fiver from Marcelo Luna!

Lote PCF04-1501. Botella 09752/10500. 45% ABV.

Finishing the last of bottle 09752 — recently rediscovered after it was abandoned in a rarely-used cupboard above our refrigerator. The aroma is a bit off, like citrus fruit fermenting in an old leather pouch. The palate is sweet and savoury, tasting of brown sugar and dried apricots. It reminds me of a buttery mexicano in its current state. Although a bit funky, this juice from Petronilo Rosario is tasty, and still has bite.