Agave: Espadín (A. angustifolia) how rare!
Región: Tlacolula, Oaxaca
Growth period: 8 years
Oven type: Conical stone
Mill type: Egyptian
Cooking wood: Ocote, oak and pirul
Fermentation vats: Pine wood
Still type: Copper
LOT 2022/2
ABV: 40%
Mezcalero: Doroteo Garcia

Nose: citrus, smoke, tennis ball rubber
Palate: bbq wood, grass, salinity, pepper
Finish: short sweet heat
Notes: Nothing magical here. In terms of budget bottles, this is the cheapest proper entry into mezcal. it’s everything you expect & nothing you don’t.

LOT J-02-E-22
ABV: 50.5%
Nose: bubble gum, sweet & fruity, slight acetone
Palate: grass, earth, minty heat
Finish: herbal tea, mild smoke, salinity, long lingering heat
Notes: not my favorite Vago bottle. Joel’s espadin comes off as a bit hot compared to the higher proof Emigdio Jarquin offering. Don’t get me wrong, it’s enjoyable… but I think I’d like it more if I had not tried any other Vago. All the fruit on the nose is totally absent in the palate. I wouldn’t discourage anyone from picking up the Joel Barriga espadin but there are better ~$50 bottles. not disappointed, but definitely not wow’d overall.
edit: added half a star, bottle has opened up a bit, flavor is definitely sweeter & more mellow than initial tasting

LOTE 03E 21-04707

Nose: slight magic marker, orchard fruit & baking spices
Palate: apple, cinnamon bite, dank weedy smoke
Finish: earth, embers

Notes: I passed on this bottle quite often, it was available locally but I never gave it a second glance. I managed to catch Gracias A Dios on sale, that said it would have been a decent pick up at full price. for a budget bottle, it gets a lot right. There are some nice fruity flavors up front, the smoke is there yet not overbearing, & it has enough going on to be interesting but not overwhelm someone new to the spirit. I don’t think I’d buy another bottle of the Espadin but I would definitely try some of the upmarket offerings if I see them.

LOT E-41-E-21

ABV: 51.3%

Nose: grassy, mild wintergreen, slight acetone

Palate: herbaceous, salt & brine

Finish: cloves, burn, more burn

Notes: Thoroughly enjoying this Espadin, not as minty as the Madrecuish, but it definitely brings the heat. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a well made artesanal mezcal without the smoke that doesn’t break the bank. at this price point it’s hard to beat.

batch 2021 bottle 211004
Sotolero: Manuel Mendez Ponce + Jacob Jacquez
Region: Janos, Chihuahua, Mexico
ABV: 45%
Production: 100% wild Dasylirion Wheeleri, mechanical shredder, underground earthen pit cooked lined with volcanic stone, cement/pine tank wild fermentation, distilled twice in copper + stainless stills
Appearance: beautiful & clear, no floaters
Nose: vegetal, mild alcohol
Palate: minty fresh, followed by clay, earth, minerals
Finish: brine, grilled asparagus
Notes: easy drinking, widely available, great price. this one is hard to beat in the sotol space.

LOT E-1 4-MC-20
Mezcalero: Emigdio Jarquin Ramirez
Region: El Nanche, Miahuatlan, Mexico
ABV: 50.6%
Production: 100% cement tahona crushed agave karwinskii (madrecuishe), conical pit cooked, wood tank fermentation, distilled twice in copper + refrescador
Appearance: crystal clear, legs & tears abundant.
Nose: grass, hay, horse blanket
Palate: licorice, peppercorn heat, wet cement
Finish: looong minty, herbal burn with a hint of salinity
Notes: admittedly it’s my only experience with mezcal on the higher end, and it is quite a departure from budget bottles. there were no fruity flavors to be found, nor smoke… just a blast of herbaceous floral complexity that turns to moist earth, then a warm hug. I am definitely going to pick up Jarquin’s espadin & hope to come across the ensemble or any of his other releases in the future.

LOTE LM1021
Region: Rio de Ejutla, Oaxaca, Mexico
ABV: 43%
Production: 100% tahona crushed espadin, above ground stone hill oven, wood tank fermentation, distilled twice in copper alembics with dual chamber rectifier.
Appearance: clear, oily & coats the glass well.
Nose: bazooka bubblegum, mild acetone, hint of orange peel
Palate: sweet fruity heat, earth, pepper
Finish: light salty smoke

Really enjoyable, budget sipper! everything about this espadin oozes quality. I added half a star overall considering this is a sub $40 bottle, in the current economy this is a real gem. not the most complex but nicely balanced. Well done, Lucio!

LOTE 10102019
Region: Alameda, Chihuahua, Mexico
ABV: 38%
Production: ceramic oven, natural fermentation with champagne yeast, twice distilled in double-column copper still, aged 12 months in new French white oak barrels
Appearance: clear, very light straw yellow. thin but still coats the glass. some floaters from the natural cork.
Nose: floral, orchard fruit (apples + apricot), hint of smoke
Palate: butterscotch, oak & vanilla
Finish: Earthy, lingering vanilla

this is very much an enjoyable, easy drinking repo. not the most complex, some would say watered down, & possibly not the best example of sotol since it is barrel aged instead of showcasing the plant’s flavor by itself. I can acknowledge that, it is what it is & good enough that I would consider giving Hacienda’s 45 abv Sotol Rustico a try.