Strong notes of roasted, dark, coffee beans…don’t get a lot of a chocolate part though. Fortunately still get some agave flavor that comes through… overall the taste results in a pleasant sweetness, yet not too complex as the coffee notes take over almost everything. Good & enjoyable, but seems to be something more of a novel mezcal vs traditional (call me old fashioned…).

Very herbal and green – smell reminds me of the Verde by the Ramos’. Grass, green veggies, some pepper spice. As mentioned not as bright as the Verde, and in my opinion not as good (did a side by side), but this is amazing juice – well balanced, sweet & smoky, and at almost 55%! Can’t way to try the next Ramos’ creation.
Lote: 0918
Review #68

Lote: 14TE4779 (12/18)
My favorite from the Banhez line. Love the sharp, green, and jalapeño notes. Taste is softer with some grass, cream, more jalapeños, and rounded with smoke & sweetness (blueberries?). Would rate it higher if the taste matched the intensity of the smell, or stronger ABV, but all around very well worth the $90 price tag. 4.25 stars.
Review #67

Overall decent but not much going on…bit bland is all I could think to summarize. Plus too much ethanol taste/smell for my liking. The ensemble that Melate featured from this mezcalero & agave way WAY better.

Super fragrant with all the notes previously described – candy (juicy fruits, flavored gum), tropical fruit (a bit of sour/rottenness for me). On nose alone I give this a 5/5 stars…incredible and fills the whole room with sweetness and curiosity. BUT, the taste doesn’t quite live up to the smell….takes a wild turn. Funky and little meaty, some sour notes. Not bad, but not as good as the smell.

Inviting smell, but nothing overpowering or crazy. Soft & floral taste, full mouth-feel, and overall pleasantly sweet throughout (brown sugar, light fruit, Butterfinger as Jonny said). Surprising clean, light finish and the word cotton came to mind.
Lots of flavors here I’m still trying to dissect, and wish I had a whole bottle to explore more over time.

Crazy smell – some rotten fruit funk going on, but in the best of ways. Some cream & spice, even jalapeños. Taste is equally strong in flavor, but I like the sweet ones + tropical fruit notes …so this isn’t too bad at all. Good finish without too much bite or smoke.
*Prefer this to the straight up cupreata as well…which I think has too much of rawhide taste and none of the sweetness for balance.

PEC-171
This is a delicate pechuga, with soft, floral notes. The clay & smoke are well balanced in this 49%, although still carries some heat at the finish. Not as sweet as I’d thought it’d be – although I do get some red apples in there & maybe cranberries. Also slight meatiness as well, which I normally miss out on with other pechugas. Yes, I paid the high price for a bottle, but it was for Thanksgiving & great to share with the whole family.
Review#62

2018, Edition 12.
Light & mild on the nose. Cooked agave, some sweetness, little tropical fruity & creamy, but overall this does really taste more like a straight espadin vs an expensive pechuga. I side-by-side tasted with the Del Maguey Pechuga, and that (flavor, depth, & complexity wise) seems to be a full star better. For the price point also have to dock it a half star. Seems like a rare miss for the otherwise stellar EJ line.
Review #61

Green, minerality funk. Sweet & fruity & really delicious. Complex, but in the simple ways. Also get some lighter notes of cream & candy, which balances will with a smoky finish. Really have enjoyed this one – but it needed to grow on me a bit!

Clay funk! Wet leather on smell that carries throughout the taste. Earthy with pleasant greenness at the end. Not as sweet as I’d expect from 60% tobala, and overall this one doesn’t seem to be for me. Agave Mixtape Vol 2.

The smell reminds me of the Ramos’ Verde – bright & green! Notes of vanilla, oak, and pepper. Strong smoke at the finish, but still very balanced with the welcomed sweetness. Overall this one is very delicious, and probably my favorite mexicano to date! 4.25

Overripe fruit, cranberries, and some nuttiness on the smell. Tropical sweetness with more fruit and raisins on the taste. Also get the classic espadin taste, which is welcoming. Floral and fragrant. I’ve had this bottle open for a few weeks now, and can say that some oxygen helped it a lot. Very good!

Great clay balance – soft minerality & and not overbearing on smell or taste. Cream with some good, fruity sweetness to this as well. For almost 50% this is a bit mild. Good clay Coyote here, but by no means great.

Enticing smell (is that orange creamsicle)! Very sweet and tropical. I get some of the cream & funkiness others have mentioned. The sweet and ‘candied’ finish that lingers at the end is very pleasant. This one definitely improved with some oxygen and resting for a few weeks. Can’t quite figure this out completely, but love continuing to try. Review #55
After some air time this one has aged beautifully. The candied and fruit sweetness have really come to the forefront. I would probably rate this closer to a 4.5 now.

First time having this type of agave. Overall very well rounded & nothing offensive about it. Most unique part of this mezcal to me is the smell (slight chlorine on the smell). Soft & sweet nose that carries through to the taste. I also get green olives & some tropical fruit as others have noted. Finishes clean. Missing “something” though to me which would give it a higher rating. But definitely interested to explore more pulquero mezcals.

That cowhide sure is crazy. This one is very different & unique. Mint & spice on the end, musty with some woodiness. Not sure at all about this one….out of the 10 pack taster pack this was 2nd to last.

This seems to be a polarizing mezcal. For me I couldn’t get past the smell of chlorine / a pool. Lots of grass, but this seemed overall a bit light to me – “watery grass juice” is how I described it. Some mint in there as well for good measure. Not sure I like it, or if this is for me. But again I’ve heard of people that LOVE it . . . so there you go.

Not a bad ensamble – basic, but good. Appreciated the different agave notes I could pick out – bananas stood out above all else for some reason, and overall well rounded. Nothing to get too excited about, but easy to sip.

Musty smell, and the test was very sharp & ethanol laced. Didn’t get a whole lot here and wasn’t terribly impressed. Slightly better than his espadilla, but my favorite from Don Fede is still the Ensemble that Melate released summer 2020. 3.25 & review #50!