In a blind taste test of 5 different R.C. mezcals, I had no idea this was the espadin (an agave I was sure I could figure out). Complex, and actually quite unlike anything I’ve tasted. Ton of ‘movie butter’ on the nose. I got a bit of oaky/woodiness as well on the front taste, and the smoke at the end is welcomed. However this uniqueness wasn’t a great thing for for me. Still came in towards the bottom of my R.C. blind taste (ahead of the Mexicano), but on 2nd tasting I still find this to be a solid espadin at 3.5 stars. I would say if I want to sip a daily espadin and not break the bank, it would be hard to go wrong here. If I had a bit more money to spend however, I’d go for something else.
Lote: D5030-E.

Bit bright and sharp. Sweet notes on the nose and in the front taste. Tried this in a blind flight taste test with 5 other Rey Campero mezcals….came in at the bottom two (top two were the Tep. & Cuishe). Bit too much ethanol taste. Not bad by any means, but not really that great (especially compared to the others by R.C.). This is one of my first Mexicanos, so still getting that acquired taste to this specific agave (this reminds me of an espadin on initial taste). Lot: D5007-M, 48.2%.

This seems to be one of the few mezcals that can be purchased in .50ml bottles (at Bevmo here in Cali)…makes it very economical to then try. With that said this doesn’t have much going on with it. The damiana adds a sweeter note I believe, especially noticed at the finish (Damiana is sweet by nature…can be used as a floater for margaritas). Bit nail polish on nose. Nothing really jumps out at me as outstanding. So not bad….just not really that good.

Light smoke and sweetness on nose, with a strong & balanced finish. Sweet throughout, with complex fruit notes (hard to confirm exact ones). Some notes of ‘movie butter popcorn’ makes for a sweeter and clean taste. I picked this one up directly in Oaxaca.

Light on nose, with a good mix of sweet & smoky at the finish. I think the cuishe gives it a “softer” touch. Lightly briney with some fruitiness. There’s a unique taste from start to finish that is hard for me to confirm…maybe it’s the nail polishy / acetone taste I’ve seen from other comments…It’s something I haven’t tasted before, so am assuming it’s partly from the cuishe mix…also, not sure if that’s yet a good or bad thing. I have a whole bottle so I have until it’s finished to figure this one out….
Lot: 13B/2372

Sweet notes with a green ethanol on finish. Notes of burnt bananas. Overall good amount of smoke & round body. Great ‘bang for your buck’ sipping mezcal. Also have had great experience using this as a mixology ingredient.

Great espadin! Strong nose (some BBQ in there) with sweet & complex finish. Notes of citrus & light berries throughout as well as something else I’m not able to place yet. All around solid sipping mezcal, and worth the ~$80 price tag. One of my first descriptions of sipping this one still rings true each time: “It punches you, then gives you a kiss”.
Lot: CHI-183

Wow! This mezcal powers you to notice it – strong notes of jalepeno on the nose. “Green” and herbaceous throughout the taste with notes of green bell peppers and some mint. Great balance of smoke and overall body. Complex and deep and damp and excellent! It could very well be worth the ~$150+ price tag. (I’ve been incorporating this in blind taste tests for friends/family, and hands down has been coming out the favorite…either it’s that good or I need better mezcals to compare 🙂 Harvest: 2017, Edition 19, Bottle 120/550.

Overall a pretty decent ensemble. Big finish with spiciness lingering on the tongue. Decent balance, body, and smoke. Will revisit again.
This is a great bang for your buck mezcal….hits well above it’s weight class. Cream, pepper, spice…some green buried down in there…little too smoky but not a problem for $40. Originally rating of 3.5 is still applicable.

Overall solid mezcal. Great for sipping neat or mixing cocktails (the good price point allows for this). Sweet on nose with notes of melon and lemon grass. Good, smoky finish. Buttery notes throughout. Batch: YJ01-19, Bottle 4418.

I’m only rating this one star as I imagine there has to be some worse so-called mezcals out there. Watery is the first (and sadly close to only) taste at first sip. Small bite, with ethanol finish, which might appease any novice, uninitiated drinker out there. Slightly sweet on the nose. Would not recommend, nor would be hard pressed to even use this to make a cocktail. And at around $60 a bottle this is straight-up highway robbery (and for a 40% ABV espadin??). I feel bad for anyone who wants to get into mezcal, buys this bottle at costco or their local grocery store, and dismisses the whole spirit off of Mr. Clooney’s pursuit to never have to act again.

I’ve had this several times, and have had different experiences for each. In general it’s always on the lighter side (definitely tastes a bit light with a low ABV of 42%), but has some sweeter notes with a stronger alcohol finish. I wouldn’t call it watery, but it’s close. I won’t buy another bottle (it carries a high price tag for a lower ABV espadin), but would sip it in a pinch. (Afterthought: Great bottle (one of my favorite actually), and label. Also, I’m a fan of Breaking Bad, and so I tried not to be biased when tasting. It’s also hard not to see a bit of a money grab here . . .ie what Clooney did with CasaMigos. I don’t think B.C. knew what mezcal was before Aaron had the idea 😉