Wet cardboard and rotting asparagus on the nose with a bit of acetone. Super weird on the palate – sweet and tangy with hints of strawberry Runts. Flavors disappear relatively quickly. Very interesting, but not my personal fave.
This one is a rollercoaster ride between sweet and savory. On the nose, this starts out as barnyard, leather, and smoke, but quickly transitions to BBQ sauce and umami on the palate. The is a definite sweetness to it that borders on molasses or maple syrup. Really enjoyable!
April 2020, Lote: 001?(of 2020 perhaps?), 121.5 L, Bottle 89/162, Vol. 7 Ixtero Verde Capon 3 años
The nose on this thing! A bit difficult to place all the aromas, but at first I was getting freshly ground peanut butter and boysenberry jam, then it evolved into piñuela and butterscotch before finally throwing in some strawberry lemonade?! Insane. The palate flavors are polar opposite, however: christmas gravy, umami, black pepper, BBQ sauce, and vinegar. Have not had anything like this in awhile.
Lote 2, 2019, 300L
This is phenomenal! Nose is like a combo of a rubber garden hose that has been left in the sun and freshly mowed grass. Plenty of pineapple or other unspecified tropical fruit aromas as well, with some rawhide funk. Wet rose petals and lavender on the palate, with more pineapple and some faint baking spice/cinnamon. Mezonte knocks it out of the park yet again with this find! Very happy to have bought a bottle; one of my new favorites.
Aromas are very minty with a little petrol. Flavors of juniper berries, chilli-covered mango, and wine-poached pears, but lacking in balance and depth. Good, not great overall.
Spearmint and cinnamon. Wow. Super sweet on the nose, but spicy and hot on the palate. Some cherry liqueur on the back of the palate.
Yup, super crushable. Piñuela, roses, jolly ranchers, smoke, roasted green vegetables, and mint. Slightly sweet and smokey.
Menthol, grass, lots of lime, and olives. I completely agree with everyone that mentioned the briny, vermouth qualities. Loads of salinity and acid. A bit on the sweet side, but not terribly so.
Lot MAS-C 05-2019. Ok, @Rakhal hit the nail on the head: smouldering charcoal ash and roasted asparagus (or maybe grilled leeks?). This is complex with great acidity and salinity. There are some background notes of pine resin and fresh ground black pepper and parmesan cheese. Definitely evolves once it opens up a bit with oxidation.
Minty and herbal up front – lots of pine, kaffir lime, and lavender soap. Things get a bit funkier on the palate with even more lavender, some lemon, and sea salt. Surprisingly not overly sweet even given the low ABV.
Diesel, pinesol, acetone, and ammonia. Was really excited to try this, but it just is not for me. Unique, but very off-putting. Keep trying to come back to it, but can’t bring myself to finishing bottle.
This is not even remotely a normal cuixe! Not sure what this actually is, but it is definitely a sweet tropical fruit bomb. Nose is full of mango, grilled pineapple, and strawberry lemonade. Sweet and tangy on the palate with a definite sour funk to it. Interesting and unique.
Wow, super floral and sweet on the nose. A bit of cinnamon salt water taffy aroma. Huge mesquite, BBQ flavors on the palate. Some citrus elements hiding in the background. Salty and sweet with mouthwatering acidity.
Cotija cheese, refried beans, and bacon fat on the nose. Bit of something medicinal in the background that I can’t quite make out – somewhat Tiger Balm/menthol. More cheese and pork lard funk on the palate with some dill and pepper. Personally, this is not up my alley, but it is still high quality juice for those that prefer these notes.
Batch: 0319ER; 46.2% ABV
Nose of caramel, ripe papaya and pineapple, key lime, and tennis balls. Bright spearmint, cinnamon, bay leaves, and lavender. Some heat on the backend. Overall, some killer juice from the Ramos family as always.
Batch: 1219VFR (K&L Exclusive); ABV: 46.09%; Lot size: 48 L, w/ only 24 bottles imported.
The nose on this thing is just outstanding! Saltwater taffy meets pine, spice, and moscato grapes. Palate is more taffy with moscato and just a touch of coffee grounds. The woody, spice characteristics stick around for a bit as well. Delicious sierra negra. I still just slightly prefer the SN from Cinco Sentidos, but just barely. I still cannot believe there are only 24 bottles in the US; absolutely insane. This is a great bottle, especially given the price/rarity quotient.
Nose of marzipan, piñuela, nougat, and custard. Cinnamon and smoke on the palate, with a spicy finish. Sweet and thick, this is my favorite espadín to date! Really wishing there had been more than 100 liters produced.
Baking spice and salt water. The cinnamon and carmalized sugars really shone through for me. Moderately sweet on the palate though, with hints of tart lime and smoke. A bit hot for me, but still highly polished as expected from Lalo. Solid stuff!
Batch: 0319ER; 46.2% ABV
Nose of caramel, ripe papaya and pineapple, key lime, and tennis balls. Bright spearmint, cinnamon, bay leaves, and lavender. Some heat on the backend. Overall, some killer juice from the Ramos family as always.
September 2019, 748 L, 49.9% ABV
The nose is a bit reclusive, with moments of ocean breeze and sweet roasted agave and fruit. Spicy and bright on the palate with nice sweetness. Some mint and anise, but minimal. A bit hot, but not overwhelmingly so. Great roasted agave and saltwater taffy finish. A really solid bottle of espadín.
