(11.18.VR.EB)
Nose: oak, bubblegum
Palate: sweet, wet ash, bubblegum, guava, oak; oily, short finish
Well blended with some heat but it’s manageable. Flavors don’t really jump out at me but is a pleasant sipper; I’ll have to revisit the bottle sometime soon.

(00122)
Nose: red fruit, pineapple, botanicals
Palate: mint chocolate, red fruit, saline mineral, spicy herbs; super rich and oily mouthfeel that I expect from a pechuga, but also has considerably more heat than I would expect as well. Especially at only 47%.
The flavors are fine here I think. Not too complex but bold like I expect from Bozal but this is just way too hot for a 47% pechuga. Also if you’re reading this bozal credit your producers

(LLON05-21)
Nose: Caramel, salty cheese, pineapple candy, black licorice and vanilla. Also kinda reminds me of some Bacanora; a little fatty and savory, a little earthy, like dusty deli meat but then that goes away and I get canned pear juice.

Palate: floral, cheesy, roasted agave, pine needles and oak, smoked fish. Medium finish, soft and round body. After everything else leaves, I’m left with tart green grapes, salt, root beer, and a numb palate. Once I finish the last sip and let my glass sit for a moment it leaves behind this wonderfully delicate smoke.

Super weird but also hard to pick apart. Almost 50% but really soft and inviting. This bottle’s a conundrum for me but I’m glad I snagged one. I’ll have to let it open up a bit and come back to it later.

Nose: mineral, soil, juicy fruit gum,

Palate: cucumber saltwater, cinnamon bubblegum, anise, wet grass, mesquite; soft mouthfeel, as the flavors dissipate I’m left with wet grass for a long time.

Instantly fell in love with this and I now have it on my shopping list. Bold and bright and almost refreshing?? Beautiful bicuixe.

N° PO2841
This one I really wanted to like, and while the aromas are interesting the flavors didn’t hold up.
On the nose I get strong apple cider, or golden apples with a touch of strawberry fruit by the foot sweetness. And while the palate is nice and warm with that nice pechuga body, I dont get a lot of complexity from it. Also it loses all its character in a really short amount of time. I probably poured this 10-12 minute ago and the smell is already gone.

LOTE # 02PE 20
The back of my bottle says “chicken or turkey” so I thought that was a little funny.
Nose: funky fruit like papaya, guava, brown sugar, mango lassi
Palate: butter and white pepper dominates but it has that really rich and round mouthfeel I expect from a good pechuga. Solid pick but not one I’d keep around for the home bar.

The varietal they advertise is cupreata but the bottle I have is actually a Cuishe from Oaxaca, I’d like to try the papalote Pechuga but I think this batch may be superior.
Bozal Pechuga (Cuishe #00221)
Nose: floral, whole milk, mango, brown sugar
Palate: Red fruit, mineral, mint, earthy, cheesy, chocolate, cinnamon, black licorice/aniseed. Nice round body I expect from a pechuga, but unfortunately a short finish, some heat but not overbearing. After finishing the glass and letting it rest for a bit, I get freshly ground coffee. Beautiful.
I usually go with the Borrego because I really dig that chocolate covered orange, but I think the Cuishe fits well with the flavor profile of the basket they chose. The earthy minerality I usually expect from a karwinskii plays up some of the sweeter notes and makes for an excellent sipping experience. Also the flavors are so bold they very easily attract outsiders, something I very much appreciate working at a mezcaleria in a town that is certainly not onto mezcal yet.
Only reason I don’t give it 5 stars is because I’d really like to know who made the juice.

(AMA-02) UPDATE:
Finally got the bottle so now I get to add more notes:
Nose: All the ingredients for a ham and cheese sandwich: whole wheat pita, cheese, white pepper, yeast, bologna. Slight vanilla bean sweetness but mostly floral with the faintest hint of wet leather.

Palate: Butter, salt, soil, loads of grain (wheat, rye), caramel; profoundly soft body, semi long finish.

Batch#: CAP 08-21a
Nose: funk, cheese, salt,
Palate: mineral, cheese; long, oily finish that ends with carmel
Wish I were able to sit with this a while longer but unfortunately I was at work when I had it and was only able to enjoy a half ounce. Will definitely look out for this though as I really enjoy a nasty, funky, savory spirit to sip on every now and then so if you do as well this one is gonna be a winner!!

Nose: Incredibly earthy, like rich wet soil but also slightly floral.
Palate: Vegetal and floral, unexpectedly bright like rosewater.
Wish I’d caught the batch number for this one but either was I’m not mad at this especially for the price point it’s at.

ARQTP 07-21

Nose: Cheesy, savory, salty, mineral, brown sugar, maple syrup, wheat, vanilla. After the glass has been sitting for a while it leaves behind an incredible funky rosewater scent

Palate: Salty, mineral, reminiscent of roe or smoked pompano; full body, slight heat. Snappy finish but I’m left with wet clay and mineral LONG after the vapors dissipate. Like I’m writing this an hour after I finished my second glass and I still got that mineral and clay taste in my mouth.

Had the pleasure of tasting about an ounce of this while hosting Jason Cox at my restaurant. I saw the same bottle a couple weeks prior but I caved and went out to purchase this batch. Really glad I did though I find myself revisiting a little too frequently.

LOTE: 2120
Depending on what you’re looking for in mezcal this may be for you, but I drink mezcal for its complex flavors and the fact that it is an incredibly labor intensive and culturally rich spirit. This is not that.
If you want to be able to say you like mezcal but actually just want to just drink margaritas all day this would be perfect for you.
When I crack open the bottle I get a thin layer of smoke and what reminds me of raw agave but overall comes off as clean. The palate reflects this and punches you with smoke but offers little complexity.

LOT#: YJ10-20 BOTTLE#: 1459
Nothing of note about this expression. Maybe it’s just this batch but I struggled to get any aroma out of it. It was crisp on the palate but felt more reminiscent of tequila rather than mezcal; subtle cooked agave on the palate with just a little heat.
I will probably revisit in the future but I was not a fan of this batch.

Lote No: L1/20 Botella No: 046
Maestro Palenquero: Jose ‘Ventura’ Gallegos
Pleasantly funky cenizo! Out the bottle I get a blast of cayenne, soil, and meat on the nose and the palate is very similar. It tastes like mineral, clay, fat and tobacco. Not sure what year this lot came out but if I am able to find it again I will certainly jump on it!

Lot N°: BXCCAN1804 Bottle: 210
Not only do I support and really admire this brand’s stand in solidarity for palenqueros who can no longer call their destilado mezcal, I am thoroughly impressed with this expression.
When I put my nose to the veladora I am transported to the beach I used to spend a lot of time at as a kid. It’s like a delightful burst of ocean water; deep and saline. This is reinforced on the palate: crisp and light saltwater with not too much heat and a semi-soft mouthfeel.
This was a very pleasant experience for me and the flavors stayed on my palate for about a half hour after tasting.
Will definitely be adding this bottle to my home collection!!

Numero: 24058
I would give this bottle a lower score if that were possible. This is commercial destilado for the American palate. So bad I cringe a little bit calling it mezcal.
The nose is flat and non existent. Kind of smells like metallic water. The palate offers a very thin layer of smoke but no complexity other than that. The only redeeming quality of this destilado is the fact that some would say it’s “smooth” but this mouthfeel just feels thin, as if they’d charcoal filtered it.
Overall terrible bottle. Tastes like steamed overly immature agave. Nothing really of note.
I would only give this to someone if I wanted to win a bet with a vodka drinker who says they won’t like agave spirits (still refuse to call this mezcal).

Lot: 00821
I am in love with this expression!!
It is very mineral/saline and earthy on the nose accompanied by a crisp and clean saline flavor. I will certainly be revisiting this bottle but it isn’t too complex for me. The minerality shines through but what is truly special about this expression is the mouthfeel. One of the softest non pechuga mezcales I’ve tasted and is for that reason very beginner friendly.

Batch: XFM35-18 Bottle: 611
One of my go to Tep’s. When you open the bottle and take a sniff you’re blasted with intense cayenne, vinegar, herbs and mineral. On the palate as with a lot of tepextate this mezcal gives off quite a bit of heat when you sip and also tastes of heavy mineral and vegetation.
Very solid bottle but is certainly not for the uninitiated. Clean and bright but the heat will turn some green mezcal enjoyers away.

Batch#: 004 Bottle#: 216,895
When I first tried this mezcal I was disappointed with it. The nose was faint, almost non-existent and the palate wasn’t very complex but after a few months I revisited this bottle and I was pleasantly surprised; glad it was starting to grow on me.
I let it open up a bit (around 10-15 minutes) and I got a rich aroma of bullion, chicken, salt and fat. It smells incredibly savory, just thinking about it makes my mouth water. The palate is very similar to the nose, savory and salty but also nutty with perhaps a hint of raisin. Unlike a lot of the other Xicaru expressions this one did not give off an overwhelming amount of heat so for a pechuga in this price range I was certainly pleased.
Certainly not my favorite pechuga but is a solid introductory or something to give someone who likes a different, funkier take on mezcal.

LOT CHI-221
Light yet complex. Good introductory mezcal for folks who want to try a different, refreshing espadin expression. The first bottle of Chichicapa I’ve tried about a year ago left me blown away with the distinct butterscotch aroma and floral, fruit forward taste it left on my palate (think honeydew). This one is still light and refreshing, producing a very citric, lime aroma with a thin layer of smoke that dissolves into floral and slightly fruity.
Whenever I get someone in my bar who wants an introduction to complex mezcales, this one is always on the flight.