LOT A-07-M-20, July 2020, 51%

Nose – Springtime freshness and sweet nature. Butter, caramel, butterscotch, cinnamon, tamarind. An expected over-arching grassy and woodsy nose accompanies you throughout as well.

Palate – Overly ripe oranges – on the verge of rotting. Sweet with tons of funk. Tangy.

Finish – Really funky but sweet and hot; cilantro, orange blossom, Serrano peppers.

Warm, sweet, soft, yet very complex. It takes some time to analyze but each sip sends you off with a kick in the ass. It’s hot, so keep the water close by! Gotta love it. It’s a timeless offering from Los Hijos de Aquilino. I can only dream of what their father’s expression tasted like.

LOT: MEX-22, 46%, Adela del Carmen Cruz

Nose – Sweet and confectionary; cinnamon, brown sugar, banana, raisins. Cookie dough, banana bread, and cinnamon rolls for the baked goods.

Palate – Soft, sharp, and citrusy sweetness – tangerines, Cuties, orange rind.

Finish – Smoky and dry, but some wood and spice as well. Cloves, tamarind.

Great expression of a Mexicano; it’s your typical citrus notes, but with a funky twist. Beautiful bottle design too – it possesses an intoxicating nose of leather on its own! Delicious and novel, this is a great addition to any collection.

lot 02/2020, 41.6%, bottle no. 78/299, Berta Vasquez

Nose – Fresh; very earthy and vegetal. Damp wood, fresh-cut grass, morning dew, peanuts.

Palate – A sweet opening that hits you with an initial punch of citrus that carries you throughout. Oranges, bubblegum, brown sugar.

Finish – Bitter citrus and woodsy – orange rind, tobacco, wet cigarettes.

Fantastic build. The finished product comes together nicely in the glass. To note, this sat on the shelf for a few months before coming back for a review. It definitely mellowed out than when it was fresh and improved over time. It’s very tasty and enjoyable. Pricey for a 375ml, but worth it for a Berta.

Batch CAP 08-21c, 49.0%

Nose – Sweet and fruity. Apples, butter, pine. Smells like a bakery. Apple pie.

Palate – Agave rich; sweet but funky. Brown sugar, cinnamon, tamarind, raisins, orange rind.

Finish – Burnt bread pudding. Sweetness with the slightest hint of char.

Very rich and agave forward; this is very reminiscent of a blanco tequila. Sweet but savory. Like having salt sprinkled on top of oranges. Great stuff.

Lote #0012023, 40%

Nose – Soft and very faint. Reminiscent of a dusty old wooden room. Butter with a slight, grapefruit-like sweetness.

Palate – Savory. Charred bbq, rubber, bacon, baked beans.

Finish – Dry; rubber bands.

Tries to introduce some sweetness, but fakes you out and stays savory and smoky all the way through. This tastes like a backyard bbq liquified. Even in a cocktail, the salinity of the flavor stands out too much and throws off the balance. It’s fine, but not enjoyable.

Lote 013MEMBUSA-21 May 2021, 51.1%

Nose – Fresh and chalky – laundry, pine, cleaning supplies, tobacco.

Palate – Bright opening flavor. Sweet and tangy that turns into a smoky, nutty fruitiness. Licorice, almonds, oranges, grapes, vanilla, dark chocolate, and black cherries. Like having a slice of holiday fruitcake chased with a splash of bong water.

Finish – Vanilla, tobacco, wet cigarettes, cough syrup, Shishito peppers.

Clean and fresh tasting, almost medicinal in a way. Very enjoyable and unique, but with some fairly noticeable smoke and burnt notes. At only 80 liters, it’s definitely worth a try if you have the chance.

LOT S-10-ECMAB-21, 49.9%
Espadin, Coyote, Mexicano, Arroqueño, Barril

Nose – Sweet and sour – Elmer’s glue, apples, tamarind.

Palate – Spicy, tart, and buttery. Caramel, cinnamon, vanilla, anise, mandarins; nutty with a fruity body.

Finish – Fruity exit with a kick; ripe citrus and black pepper.

Really good and super smooth. Reminiscent of an añejo tequila. Fantastic Mezcal.

LOT E-04-MC-20 March 2020, 50.9%

Nose – Fresh and musty – Tree bark, leather, wet asphalt.

Palate – Sweet and hot citrus; sour oranges.

Finish – Grassy finish.

No frills, just really good.

LOT E-28-E-21, 50.3%

Nose – Sweet and funky – cottage cheese, gasoline, wet asphalt.

Palate – Sweet, spicy, and sharp. Cinnamon and ginger, with a hint of banana.

Finish – Very hot; Serrano peppers.

A really good Espadin. Very tasty and interesting; the sips keep you coming back for more. This is very hot, so keep a glass of water nearby!

Batch E7-01 2021, 47%, Bottle #35

Nose – The produce section at the market. Tamarind, peppers, chiles. Some rubber and leather in there for some industrial notes.

Palate – Dry citrus with a kick: grapefruit and orange rind, with a touch of jalapeño. The dryness leads into a slightly nutty taste as a result.

Finish – Bittersweet nuts; walnuts, pecans.

A good and enjoyable Mezcal. This is the first Espadin that ‘wowed’ me. Refined flavor, smooth feel, no burn. Gives off the impression of a carefully crafted and well made product. And it delivers. Consider this as a daily sipper.

1121FRM, 46%

Nose – Sweet, woodsy, and synthetic. Leather, barbecue sauce, and some cottage cheese. New car smell, vinyl floors, and latex paint also apply. Reminds me of apartment hunting, in a good way. Smells like stepping into a newly renovated unit that was just put on the market.

Palate – Vegetal with a touch of sweetness; very bittersweet. It’s a big bite of green pepper followed by some broccoli or some kind of vegetable stalks.

Finish – The bittersweetness continues with some bright punchy notes; faintly citrus, like orange rind.

This is ok to me. It didn’t impress but it’s good. I enjoyed the nose more than the palate. Profile-wise it leans heavily towards bittersweet and dry, so it feels a little stiff. Falls short of expectations considering this is Mal Bien. There’s definitely more ‘punchy’ Espadins than this.

LPV-161, 40%

Nose – Sweet and woodsy, like cotton candy in a leather goods store.

Palate – Bittersweet and dry. Tastes like chewing on the stalks of fresh green veggies. Celery, kale, collard greens, broccoli.

Finish – All dry. Very reminiscent of a vermouth.

This Mezcal is so subdued, with its bitter and dry body, it’s almost flavorless. No smoke, no alcohol. On its own this deserves a 2-stars as a sipper. However with its very clean flavor, it’s a great blank canvas for a cocktail, 3-stars as a mixer. Overall star-score falls in the middle of the two.

Edition 28 2018, 48%, Bottle #335/880, Rafael Méndez Cruz

Nose – Earthy and natural; wet earth, fresh cut grass, morning dew, and wet dog. And a bit woody, like pencil shavings.

Palate – Fruity, but on the bitter and dry end. Like chewing on passion fruit gum after fifteen minutes when all the flavor is gone. Reminiscent of bitter citrus like orange rinds and grapefruits, with some unripe mango thrown in.

Finish – Bitter and dry citrus; think orange rind or grapefruit.

Great Mezcal; really smooth and easily digestible. Accessible and a great intro into the more ‘high-end’ producers.

Edit 5/17/2024: Revisiting this after numerous more tastings in my Mezcal journey, this stands out as an all time favorite and turns out to be one of the best I’ve ever had (thus far). Going to have to bump this up to 5-stars from a previous 4.5. 

Series 4, 48%

Nose – Funky and sweet like tamarind; or a dry erase marker. Some coconuts, Pina colada and gluestick. Very grassy and earthy overall; so fresh and complex.

Palate – An opening that’s floral and refreshing, reminiscent of rose water. A bite of some green pepper, and a pop of some citrus in there as well.

Finish – A little savory and hot – like a garnish of black pepper.

Pretty mellow and subdued, and of course exceptional. It has a floral and smoky taste that coats really well and has a viscous feel. Like having a sip of cologne (if I can imagine it); very unique.

ADE-MAD-001 April 2021, 56.7%, Bottle #733

Nose – Smells like a big fat Sharpie marker, in a good way. A hint of some fish oil, and some faint notes of wet asphalt, coconut, and Pina coladas.

Palate – Vibrant and citrusy, followed by some bitterness. Like chewing on a rubber band coated in agave syrup. Then some orange rinds and grapefruits.

Finish – The fruity and citrus notes turn a bit quirky, reminiscent of raisins.

Sweet with a bit of heat. Very enjoyable, but not special. It’s just good.

Series 5 2019, 46.4%

Nose – A lot of sweetness and smoke. Like barbecue sauce. Subtle aromas of an extinguished fire, and hints of chemical notes like glue, vinyl, and gas.

Palate – Bright, spicy, and very smoky. An opening of herbal sweetness that’s reminiscent of licorice, then followed by some bitterness where heavy overtones of smoke take over. This is like chewing on an orange rind after having some tobacco and wet cigarettes. A bit overbearing at times and perhaps a little too smoky.

Finish – All that orange rind leaves us with a bittersweet and dry exit.

It’s cumbersome but overall still complex. A decent Espadin, but below average for Rezpiral and Berta.