Did not catch the bottle or batch info. Sampled at el mezcalito in Seattle, WA on Queen Anne. Classic cuish flavors, sweet undertones, grassy, and well-balanced. Quality sipper 3.75/5 stars.
Artemio Garcia Barrios, (no information on if these are capón or not)
abv 50% May 2020, Lot 19, Matured in glass for 21 months, bottle 3/47
abv 50%, Feb 2020, Lot 20, Matured in glass for 29 months, bottle 30/50Tasting these two side-by-side. I picked up the first bottle in Mexico City in 2022 from Erick. Long story, but I got ill and couldn’t make the scheduled tasting, but he was kind enough to deliver this bottle and three others to where we were staying. The second bottle I purchased at Madre in Torrance last week at a tasting with Erick/Pal’alma hosted by Ivan Vasquez. We didn’t taste this mezcalito at that tasting, but I knew I wanted to pick up a second bottle.
– Lot 19 – the last pour from his bottle. Really enjoyed revisiting this bottle over the last year and a half. From Erick in 2022 I also bought a bottle of cupreata from Michoacán (Penca Ancha) and was really impressed by how different they both are. This one is quite sweet on the nose, hints of candy cane, sweet grass, and spearmint. The palate has plenty of sweetness but also that mint and a nutty/mushroom like flavor (almonds and shiitake). After letting it sit a bit, there are some chocolate and rich dark earth notes that come through. Nice black pepper heat for the abv, that heat is subdued yet lingers nicely on the tongue. (****1/2)
Lot 20 – Very similar nose to the first bottle. Sweetness and mint, but not as much sweet grass. I don’t know if the longer time in glass impacted the flavor more or the month of harvest (without knowing exactly where the magueyero harvested these agaves). This expression has more funk, a good amount of minerality, and a white pepper heat that hits the top of the mouth. Still sweet overall: a bit of cotton candy, some floral notes close to rose petals. After getting some more air, I pick up some lactic notes (on the milk spectrum as another reviewer pointed out) as well as some roasted coriander. Really has some great depth of flavor. *****
Looking at the other reviews, I think my batches have some different flavor profiles, not getting the caramel, date, or apple notes, however I think we all agree that if you can track down one of these bottles, you will be glad that you did. These bottles are not cheap, but the quality is very high. You are definitely getting what you pay for.
I sampled the June 2017 batch. I picked up a bottle at Louie’s Liquor in Azusa, CA to share with dear friends on a trip to the Columbia Gorge in Oregon and Washington over the July 4th weekend. Boy that bottle went quick, everyone seemed to enjoy it. I did manage to pour myself a few copitas though, but I did not take great tasting notes for this one. When the bottle was first opened, I noticed how hot it was, but after getting some air, it really mellowed and the flavors come through strongly. Lots of freshly roasted cacao, for me the chocolate note was some of the strongest I have tasted in a mezcal. I also got some mint notes and herbaceous qualities. I would recommend getting a bottle for the price point, affordable at under $100 and has some great flavor and depth.
Batch: FED-ESP-002, Production date: Dec-Jan, 2021. Bottle 174/255, 54% abv
Picked up this MM release at El Cerrito Liquor in Corona, CA. I have had a few espadillas from Puebla and they some similar qualities on the nose and palate. This one up front has a cross between a car repair garage and a decomposing smell from a swamp. It does have a sharp flavor profile with more of that barnyard/swamp/garage thing coming through. In addition, there is some vanilla and cinnamon, rounded heat, underripe stone fruit, jujube, and burnt sugar. My batch differs quite a bit from the other reviews, more abv, more flavor, and more balanced. Quite tasty and an honor to sip and enjoy one of the last batches from this maestro.
96.9 Proof, no batch info
Tasted a 1.5 oz pour at Uno, Tre, Otto in Claremont, CA. A great karwinskii. Lots of herbs and minerals. Fantastic depth of flavor and mouthfeel. Sweet herbal flavors and a touch of astringency on the backend. A nice woodiness too, cross between cedar and pine and a touch of incense. Definitely a different batch from the other reviews, but still holds up well.
47.3% abv, 175 liter batch, ER0321TB
Picked this one up on sale at K&L Wines along with the madrecuixe from GH/Ramos. Nose has a strong smell of spearmint gum. The palate has some butterscotch, green pineapple or melon, aloe vera, cooked agave, cinnamon, herbal sweetness and a sweet vegetal character, along with some minerality. Lot of breadth in this expression and plenty to explore. Good to experience some nice tobalá after tasting a few less stellar offerings lately. 4.25 starts out of 5
50.21 abv, Lot# 0919AC, rested in glass
Caramel, hay and wood on the nose, palate has some sharp heat upfront, flavors of minerality, clove, ginger, wet cardboard, green banana, sweet melon, with a slightly bitter aftertaste. Looking at the other reviews, there are some differences with other batches. Looking at the reviews that tasted the same batch as mine, I agree with the starchy note by Zack, not sure I get the soft note or the funk note either. Also, not much smoke for me. I do recommend letting this breathe a bit if you get a pour of it. Definitely worth exploring and enjoying.
47% abv, Harvest 2017, Bottle 168/180 Batch: GRHBA150617EJ, Gregorio Hernandez Lopez, Rested in glass for five years
Special release and exclusive for K&L Wines. I am fan of barril, and have like several by different mezcaleros/as. This expression has lots going on. Dusty earth, unrefined maple syrup or sap, and aftershave on the nose. The flavors have a lot of breadth and depth: slightly oily mouthfeel, sweet rice, corn husk, cardamon in the pod, wood shavings, and burlap sack. I recommend letting the pour sit and get some air to reveal the complexity. K&L still has a pretty good stock of this expression, over 60 bottles. Well priced at $130, there are cheaper barrils on the market, but aging in glass for five years justifies the price point in my book.
Bottle 348/561 49.25 abv January 20222 Lot: DS025-J
Tried this release at Bar Flores in Echo Park a month ago. Hype is well placed. Lots of green and tart citrus on the nose. Flavors of lemon grass, wet redwood, gala apple and citrus pith. Mild heat. Loved the green and earthy tones that came through. One production note difference, this release was rested in glass for two months. No nail polish for me, but interesting tasting notes posted by other reviewers.
48.3% abv Lot # 0521AS
The number of high quality destilados from Guerrero is pretty shocking. I have become a full convert to cupreata. I was able to track down this bottle at El Cerrito Liquor in Corona, CA. This release has a similar nose and vibe to others that I have tried. Green on the nose, hints of onion and herbal qualities, lemongrass, freshly poured concrete, dried mango with chili. The flavors on the palate range from herbal mint tea, toasted coriander seeds, dry earth, green onions, and a faint sweetness. The heat hits in the back of the throat and the chest. The other reviews mention chocolate, which could be the earthy note (roasted cacao), I don’t really get the cinnamon or ginger notes. The sweetness could hit between the maple syrup, caramel, and vanilla that others mentioned. Regardless, high quality stuff and well worth the price (under $100 in most places). 4.25 stars out of 5.
What a great mezcal from a very talented producer. I know that there is a conversation about desert island mezcals; this might be one to share with the aliens from another solar system. The nose has cake frosting, cream cheese and lactic aromas, leather, wet wood, wet earth and clay. The flavors on the palate resound with that lactic vibe, saltwater taffy, cilantro, wet cement, brine, mandarin orange and persimmon. This expression is so well integrated and not hot at all for the abv. I reviewed another Don Benigno release through 5 Sentidos and that one is hotter (even though the ABV is lower) and has more sour cherry notes. The contrast is stark even though that 5 Sentidos release was also rested in glass since 2016. The bottle was pricier than other Aguerrido releases but the aging in glass makes this well worth the extra $$. Stellar stuff (or maybe interstellar). I get less fruit than Jonny and the cherry mentioned by COak is more in the other release that I mentioned. Damian in LA also has this Aguerrido release and their tasting notes differ too noting ancho chile, dark chocolate, sea salt, toffee, and ripe stone fruit.
Batch Cali-011, Bottle 20/90, 47.67% abv
The Rufina lineup is all very good. This madrecuixe has some crazy minerality on the nose, some of the strongest I have ever smelled or tasted in a mezcal. It reminds of LA city water, not in the chemical aspect, but in the mouthfeel (chalky). Their verde has some of this same minerality, although more muted, so it could be the water source in addition to the soil. Being a wild agave, it could also be part of its genetics. Underneath that minerality is some of the grassiness and vegetal notes that I like in a karwinskii, A bit of popcorn and corn syrup as well. Just some mild spiciness, but the flavor lingers in your palate for a while. Different from many other madrecuixes that I have tried and worth seeking out.
46% abv Lot: I 1-1
I have tried the entire lineup from Oponguio at a tasting event at Happiest Ours in Corona a few months ago, and they are all really solid. I sprung for this bottle because it hit a lot of my favorite Inaequidens notes. Strong pine notes on the nose, really drying on the palate, crisp and light fruit notes. Trying to figure out the herbal notes, maybe a bit more oregano for me, but there is a dried sage note that Jonny mentions. There are some floral notes too, rose petals, faint bubblegum and background sweetness. The flavors are muted but interesting. The herbal to my recollection is close the seco in their lineup in terms of flavor. I recommend doing a side-by-side tasting of their main offerings: frutal, herbal, and seco.
Batch: AMA-02 Bottle: 144/240 (180 liter batch) 45.5% abv
Power of suggestion carries a lot of weight, and when you get your first whiff, you think you smell leather and cow hide….when you can put that out of your mind, there is some fruit sweetness and basil notes. The flavors on the palate remind me of Kirsch, a cherry liquor. There is also a strong taste in the palate that evokes beef jerky or cured sausage notes (along the lines of Spanish chorizo). There is some background herbal quality as well, not sure if it is the mint or licorice others mention or something closer to oregano and rosemary. Enjoyable and worth the price at around $110 a bottle, which is what I paid at El Cerrito Liquor for this bottle. Check out Zack Klamm’s video on YouTube about his trip to the Santa María Ixcatlán: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX7VFtprDb4
61.4% abv, Date: 3-22 Lot: A26 Bottle 240T
Picked up this 200 ml bottle at Louie’s Liquor in Azusa. I first tasted this puntas in Chicago this past October at Frontera Grill. Really impressed with that pour. This offering has a thick, strong mouthfeel. Hot for me, unlike other reviewers, but not burning. Has lots of flavors: sweet caramel and toffee, grape jelly, and peppermint. On the backend, there is a touch of the funky raicilla flavor, a bit of cream cheese. Definitely a must try if you come across a bottle at a bar. I am usually going to opt for any puntas regardless, but do seek this one out; you won’t be disappointed.
Lot# VDS-T 2-11-2021 Batch size: 110 liters 49% abv
Purchased this bottle on special from K&L wines. I had never had an agave spirit from Nuevo Leon unit this year and had never gotten that “fruit punch” note that others had mentioned. But this batch has it in spades. Nose is all fruit punch, and the palate as well. Comes in waves Reminds me of mixing kool-aid packets with sugar and eating that straight as a kid (with minimal sugar if you were brave). The mix here is a little tart but there is some sweetness as well. Also notes of leather, sour plum or cherry, and a slight ashy aftertaste. I agree with Rakhal that this offering is really unique. Not getting the corn note that Zack and Rakhal mentioned, but I could have a different batch.
Great ensemble. Bicuixe is really present, but the backbone is that arroqueño. Rich and deep flavor, however the jabalí is a little muted, but some of the floral notes and herbal character could be from that maguey. That herbal character does hit on mint like Zack mentions, but also close to tarragon and cilantro. Some really subtle minerality too, caramel, and toasted cinnamon (close to red hots), and just a perfect heat warming up the whole tongue. I also agree with Zack on the mouthfeel lingering and the drying quality (probably the bicuixe). High quality sipper and a lot fun to let it open up and get some varied flavors with more oxygen. 4.75/5
ABV: 45.6% 11/21 Lot: AT3-15 Bottle: 1000T
Purchased a 200 ml bottle at Barkeeper Silverlake, and a 750 would not be a bad investment. Grape skins, grapefruit, and grape must….all things grape! Really lively flavors and presence on the palate, keeps getting richer and more rewarding. Has a little bit of carbonization going on as well.
Batch 01/2022, Bottle: 64/82 48.5% abv
Got the opportunity to meet Jed Wolf who set up the brand and imports these offerings into the US. He was doing a tasting at Kodo in DTLA and many of the other destilados under his label are really good, I recommend seeking out the papalometl-cupreata blend if you can track down a bottle. I purchased this bottle at K&L Wines in Hollywood. This one has some classic salmiana aromas on those nose: green, vegetal, candle wax, and earth. Palate has some nice flavors that match that profile: prickly pear cactus, light brown sugar, clove, and stewed leafy greens. Heat is mild however the flavors do hang around a while. The bottles can run upwards of $70 for a 375s the 750s can be double that (the bottles are really beautiful too though I never think that justifies purchasing a bottle if the juice inside is not top notch). But do try these offerings if you get a chance to sample them. Really some great stuff in the Luneta line-up and those are worth the price.
60% abv, Bottle: 140
Bit of burned rubber on the nose (strange because they use steam not a typical horno with wood), green and velvety. On the palate, lots of that green, salmiana flavor (something between a roasted poblano, green bell pepper, and Anaheim chili), sweet and herbal as well, the sweetness is between a couple spices—ginger and cardamon—think ginger bread or Christmas cookies. The heat is subdued but lingers These puntas are really good and pretty special.
