Lote YCD01-21, 40%

Nose – Strong, sweet and grassy; Sharpie marker and ginger.

Palate – Earthy and nutty, with a bit of sweetness, and a hint of tangy citrus; vanilla, orange rind, dulce de leche, caramel.

Finish – Dry and bittersweet; grapefruit and rubber bands.

Surprisingly not bad! Great value for anyone trying to explore other varietals of agave without breaking the bank. The only downsides are the noticeable lack in viscous quality compared to higher-end Mezcales, and the very obvious taste and harshness of alcohol in some of the early sips. It’s definitely low-tier, but fun to try! Fyi, my bottle was tasted and subsequently shelved for a year before a revisit and this review was written.

Batch: 04 Apr. 2020, 49%, 200ml

Nose – Cheesy, musky wood with some wet earth, morning grass, and cottage cheese. There’s something sweet in there as well. Like ginger, coconuts, and Sharpie markers.

Palate – An eye opening burst of citrus that hits you in the font end. It’s very tropical, like fruit punch. There’s also a bit of dry, dirty taste in there that accompanies you through the fruitiness, a bit like fresh ginger or orange rind.

Finish – The sweetness and fruitiness dry out. Chewing on passion fruit gum until the flavor is almost gone.

Very good and different. A unique expression that has exceptional flavor.

LOTE A9 June 2020, BOTELLA 2592T, 46.4%, 200ml

Nose – Dirty, musky, and chalky; soil, dirt, wet asphalt. And something subtly sweet; tamarind, dry-erase marker.

Palate – A rich, dark and fruity flavor. Grapes, plums, cough syrup.

Finish – The deep flavors intensify; red wine, dark chocolate.

Decent sipper, especially if you’re trying to avoid something sweet and citrusy. This is deep, dark, and bittersweet. As if a Mezcal was reposado’d in a red-wine barrel.

EDITION: 17 2017, 47%, BOT No: 153/180
Gregorio Hernandez (K&L Select)

Nose – Musky and sweet; tamarind, old wood, pine, coconut. And some sweet synthetics; glue, vinyl, cottage cheese.

Palate – A clean taste, like mineral water, flushes yours mouth in the beginning of the sips. But the overall body is citrusy, nutty, and a little bit cheesy; orange creamsicle and pina coladas.

Finish – The sweetness dries off and gives you a little smoked bbq.

Great! Light, bright and refreshing. This limited edition bottling has been glass aged for 5 years. The effect of this is evident because it is very mellow as opposed to new bottlings which are typically intense. Perfect sipper.

BATCH SNALB 05-21 July 2021, 46.7%, 200ml

Nose – Very agave forward. Tangy, spicy, and sweet; cinnamon, raisins, cloves, aquarium water, chlorine, potpourri, a Michael’s store.

Palate – Overly ripe fruit; a punch of funky sweetness. Tamarind, extra ripe mangoes, raisins, prunes, dates, sugar cane, dulce de leche.

Finish – A little nutty and savory to round it out; caramel popcorn.

Notes – Very good! It’s smooth and sweet on the palate. This tastes like your favorite blanco Tequila. Perfect for anyone looking for an accessible and non-abrasive sipping Mezcal. At 46% it’s easy drinking.

LOT: D5018-T July 2022, 48.4%, BOTTLE No. 206/869

Nose – Sweet and vegetal. Rubber, vinyl, glue stick, sawdust. Fresh produce, parsley, and broccoli.

Palate – Sweet and fruity. Bubblegum, melon, and cantaloupe.

Finish – A little bitterness to round it out. Like some subdued citrus; grapefruit and orange rind.

Really good! Love the sweetness.

LOTE: 26, 48.51%, 200ml

Nose – Natural, sweet, and a tiny bit musky; leather, tobacco, wet cigarette butts.

Palate – A strong citrusy opening. Cuties (mandarins), white pepper, sweet corn.

Finish – An amalgamation of sweet and semi-charred flavors; tobacco. Reminiscent of sucking on cigarette filter.

Very flavorful that leans sweet, with an overarching smokiness.
… After a revisit and letting the bottle sit, this turned out to be really great!

Lote No. 6P0-02, Botella No. 110/600, 48%, 200ml

Nose – A very strong sweet aroma; tamarind, fresh cut grass, rubbing alcohol, and orange juice. Very upfront and in your face, like a whiff of a Sharpie marker.

Palate – Ginger. It’s woodsy and bittersweet. Leans more vegetal and mineral than it does sweet.

Finish – A soft bitterness; celery stalks.

Surprising minerality considering the very sweet nose. Enjoyable and smooth. However the nose packs more of a punch than the palate.

MIA-A1903US 2019, 46.29%, 200ml, Wild

Nose – Fresh cut grass, wet earth, flower shop, peanuts.

Palate – Hot and nutty, with a touch of mild citrus.

Finish – Sweet; agave and sugarcane.

Good, but retails at a steep price. The 200ml is very reasonable to taste.

MIA-T2002US 2020, 46.63%
Berta Vasquez – Chichicapam

Nose – Savory; chicken bouillon. With a touch of something sweet and tart, like orange blossom, coconut, and cinnamon.

Palate – A little overcooked; smoky and burnt. It’s a strong, sweet, rubber taste. Bubblegum, or like a brand new mouthguard. Overly ripe mangoes.

Finish – Subtle burnt bbq.

Very good, fantastic flavor.

DS012-MC, 48.9%, 200ml

Nose – Fresh and sweet, like a bakery – baking spices, buttermilk, cinnamon, vanilla, honey. Fresh notes of newly cut grass, wet earth, damp wood, and barbecue sauce.

Palate – Sweet and tangy – bubble gum and brown sugar, with a sip of a piña colada. Some caramel, and a bite of green pepper for good measure.

Finish – A little hot and dry, tangerines with a touch of rubber band.

Good and enjoyable. An unexpected sweet, earthy taste.

DS020-J, 48.6%, 200ml

Nose – Funky, nutty, and musty – peanuts, cheese, sour cream, rubber. Some hints of damp wood, drywall, vinyl, wet asphalt and fresh cut grass as well.

Palate – Sweet and tangy, with a bit of vegetal and spice notes. A funky opening thats reminiscent of dulce de leche. Green bell pepper, clove, all spice, caramel, and some sort of ripe citrus to round it out.

Finish – Asian sweet and sour sauce; egg roll dip. A bit of dryness on the backend as well; grapefruit.

Always great, a definitive classic. Unique flavor and an intoxicating nose.

BATCH TPXLE 09-20, 44.3%, 200ml, Luis Enrique Juarez

Nose – Nature after a rain; fresh cut grass, wet earth, soil. And some vegetal, ‘produce-section’ notes; broccoli, carrots, celery.

Palate – Sweet, subtle spice; anise, cloves, saffron, rose water, jackfruit.

Finish – A dry, vegetal, sweetness with a little bit of kick; sharp green bell pepper.

A fantastic destilado – it unveils itself to be very complex while you discover new and different flavors as this Mezcal takes you on a journey through its terroir. Earthy and vegetal, and maybe a little too floral in taste; like sipping a summer garden.

LOT: DS017A-m February 2020, 48.4%, BOTTLE No. 22/150

Nose – Sweet, funky, and fresh; tamarind, ginger, morning grass – and some cheesy funk; cojita cheese, Elmer’s glue.

Palate – Spicy, sour, and acidic. Cinnamon, ginger, Red Hots, with a splash of some hot citrus; unripe sour oranges.

Finish – A little dry; orange rind. Some funk and savoriness to it as well; oily pork, Slim Jims.

Good and enjoyable intro to higher-end Mezcales. I’m becoming a fan of Mexicanos, this is a great expression to try!

SERIES 7 2021, 47.2%

Nose – Fresh and natural; such a beautiful nose! Lush vegetation and fresh produce. The farmer’s market in springtime – leafy greens, honey, jam, fresh strawberries.

Palate – Fresh, vegetal, sweet, and plenty of tart. Berries in a leafy green salad. Raspberries, strawberries, kale, broccoli. There’s a nutty component in there as well; unsalted mixed nuts.

Finish – Sweet and nutty; a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with Smucker’s strawberry jam.

Very fresh, lush, clean, and smooth. Like when it’s sunny and drizzling outside at the same time and you’re just taking in the clean air.

Lote: SMS003L/21, 47.5%, Bot. 082/700, Tio Leonardo
Espadin 80% / Arroqueño 20%

Nose – Funky; the clay is very apparent. Terra cotta, fresh cut grass, butterscotch. It’s cheesy with some overtones of acetone.

Palate – A strange, funky flavor; the clay definitely makes an appearance. Think hot, citrus rubber – ginger, orange rind, raisins, rubber bands, and some maple syrup.

Finish – The funk cools off and is a little more subdued but in a bittersweet-sense; licorice, tamarind.

The industrial notes standout more than the organic ones. Almost gives off an artificial taste despite it being Ancestral. Nonetheless, it’s still a good and interesting Mezcal to have considering its value and availability. Fantastic bottle art.

LOT NO. 00420, 47.0%

Nose – New car smell and confectionary scents. Pine nuts, leather, brown sugar, wet earth, wood cleaner (pine), butterscotch, cinnamon.

Palate – Very savory, a little sour and smoky. Lay’s barbecue chips all the way. Sour apple, cacao, anise, tobacco, wheatgrass.

Finish – Spicy and sweet – cinnamon, cloves.

A decent Mezcal that’s just different. Leans heavily more savory than sweet.

BATCH No. BCEN01, 50% (the only batch)

Nose – Creamy and cheesy, sweet and earthy – strong butterscotch tones, with notes of cream cheese, wet earth, leather, and tamarind.

Palate – Sweet, spicy, earthy, smoky – cinnamon, cloves, orange rind, melon, and tobacco.

Finish – A charred funky sweetness – anise, Peking duck.

Really great Mezcal that improved than when it was fresh: to note, this sat on the shelf for a few months before this review was written. It was a lot hotter back then, it’s much more mellower now; the flavors are allowed to shine through much better.

BATCH: JBTB 10-21, 46.6%, BOTTLE 102/145

Nose – Sweet and earthy – leather, wet dirt, vinyl.

Palate – Earthy, funky sweetness – banana, banana pith, cream cheese, almonds.

Finish – Lingering sweet and spicy – orange rind, ginger, rubber bands.

Great Mezcal. Lots of depth and character. To note, this Mezcal was reviewed with a bottle that has sat on the shelf for a few months; therefore a bit mellowed out than when it was fresh.

BATCH: AMA-01, 41.1%, BOTTLE 217/266

Nose – Sweet, grassy butterscotch and some earthy funk – clay, terra cotta, cream cheese.

Palate – Subtle sweetness with a funky tinge – ginger, sugar cane, grapefruit, cucumber.

Finish – Bitter nuts; walnuts, chestnuts.

Good, it’s subtle. Lacks ‘pop’ but still plenty of depth to explore; mellow.