Ensemble 57% espadin, 43% mexicano 51.3% abv Lot: S-07-EM-18 Batch: 377 Liters

Surprised no one else has reviewed this particular bottle and that this blend and its rough proportions only seems to appear in a review by Rakhal. This one might be the most mexicano heavy of Tio Rey’s ensembles. Taste a good deal of that espadin, but then the drying quality of the mexicano takes over and some of its nuance. This is one hot mezcal, and normally the high abv’s don’t hit me as hard. That reaction to the abv seems to be a common thread amongst the other reviews. Nose has a bit of stinky feet but the flavors are all over the place. A ton of black pepper heat throughout, a bitter taste like pith of citrus but then an anise/licorice flavor comes through. There is also a background charcoal note, maybe a combo natural gas/mesquite grill. Some tropical fruit as well, dried pineapple with chili. And after letting get some air for a spell, there is some candy corn flavor there (which normally would be a deal breaker for me but isn’t too bad here). Down to the last couple pours of this offering, but I would gladly pay for another ensemble from Tio Rey. Really can taste and experience both agaves which is not common in the other ensembles that I have sampled. 4.25 stars out of 5.

Mezcalera: Berta Vazquez, Lot#CH1-E2001US 46.42% abv

Have tasted a couple other mezcals from Berta and enjoyed them quite a bit. Her Rezpiral Espadin also comes highly recommended. This espadin was sweet and luscious. Flavors of musty grape, saltwater taffy, then at the backend some minerality, spice, and heat. Wow, very enjoyable. This bottle went so fast, like her other espadin from Rezpiral.

Lot# TE/X1-19, Bottle 38/120 50% abv
A friend picked up this 450 ml bottle for me in Mexico City in 2021 and I am so glad she did. I was first exposed to Reyna’s Tepextate as part of the Maguey Melate tasting box and it blew my socks off. This one is also spectacular. The nose is so good: grape nerds, the green and inviting smell of the marmorata (I don’t get green bell pepper or jalapeño like other reviewers of teps), and forest floor. The flavor just goes for days – herbal, a subdued sweetness, poached pear, a bit of allspice, the heat is so understated compared to the ABV. Would love to try more from this mezcalera, especially with her magic touch with this agave. It may not be the hibiscus mint tea by the pool for me, but a mountain retreat in the woods enjoying a light spring rain.

Lot #46 Bottle: 119/696 February 2020, 46% abv

Drank though this bottle pretty steadily after picking it up at Mission Liquor back in May, 2022. A really good inaequidens. This one is not as lactic as other Michoacán mezcales that I have tried, but it has great minerality, faint citrus, a bit of salinity, and a hint of cream cheese. Drying mouthfeel and a background heat. Flavors are pretty muted actually, but I did enjoy the subtlety of this expression. Browsing the other reviews, there is a bit of that pine or mint note (could be rosemary as well). And an ever so faint whiff of anise. 3.75/5 stars.

Batch #0521RM 46% abv
Love these altos, such great flavors from the inaequidens agave. This Mall Bien offering is both very tasty and pretty affordable at round $70. I picked up mine at Tahona Mercado). Lots of pine and juniper on the nose with a background of lactic action (Greek Yogurt). The flavors are a splash of green melon or watermelon rind, Wrigley’s gum, guava, and a background tartness that is complimented by the sweet flavors of fruit. There is a undertone of minerality as well, could be that limestone fermentation or the water source. Also, a mild black pepper heat, and a drying quality to the spirit on the finish. Really appreciate the range of flavors that others note in their reviews (cucumber, tennis ball, dry erase marker) I think it does matter the longer you expose your pour to oxygen and the journey as you finish a bottle. Mine is about ready to be replaced, looking forward!

Lot 11, Bottle 124/2900 3/2022 abv: 44.9%

So much good mezcal coming out of Michoacán. very happy to see more choices and brands on the market. Derrumbes has been available for a while now, I remember seeing these bottles available back at least in 2015/16. I really like this one. Not sure of the percentage blend between these two agaves, but the inaequidens comes through strongly. Bit of paint thinner on the nose initially which dissipates quickly. Flavors are sweet , cotton candy and mulberry jam. The backend has some minerality, dry cedar, and a hint of salinity. I have had some ensembles from La Luna featuring these two agaves (Bruto and Chino) and they have been pretty fantastic as well. Looking over the other reviews, I can see the lemon/lemongrass quality as well as the cinnamon (bark). My lot has a lot less smoke than others note in their reviews, but it is there faintly.

Date 2/22 Lot 8 Bottle 166/250 ABV: 41.5%
Ramirez was my supplier for this raicilla as well. So different from the other raicilla de sierra that I purchased (Puntagave) on the nose: rubber gloves, wet decomposing leaves, and freshly baked muffins with walnuts. The flavor gets back into the same sierra wheelhouse: lemon and lime, chalk, saltines, and tart green apples. Repeated sips and airing it out a bit bring out a bit more sweetness, like a chamomile honey, and some mild cheese similar to a light brie. I agree with the other reviewers here – Zack and Rakhal – that the lower abv does not dilute the flavors at all. I have heard that raicilla is traditionally distilled at a lower abv so don’t be dissuaded from trying them if you prefer those higher abv agave spirits like I do. My lot seems a bit different from the the others reviewed (#1), not sure I get the guava or tropical fruit, but several of the other flavors and scents seem to be present for me as well. Grab a bottle if you can find one under $75. 3.75 stars out of five.

48% abv, Lot 4, ABR 15
Been trying more raicillas of late and thoroughly enjoying them. I picked up this bottle at one of my more reliable liquor stores for agave spirits, Ramirez Liquor. This raicilla is pretty darn tasty. I know that the funk in raicillas can turn some folks off, but it does draw me in (cue the James Brown riff). This one does have some cheese on the nose and a fresh hit of lemon and lime peel. The flavor hits with that lemon flavor, lemon curd, solid pepper heat, salted caramel, and a bit of pine. A bit of astringency and salinity on the backend. Flavor for days, more like 4.25/5 stars for me. Looking at the other reviews, there is some variation in the batches. I don’t get the sour apple, but on Tequila Aficionado in their YouTube review, they mention a pineapple flavor, which I do get. More recent reviews mention the cream cheese and Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit, which is closer to the flavor profile of my batch.

45.4% abv, Lot 1, Date: 8/18 Bottle: 516/750

Another bottle procured from Ramirez Liquor. Great aromas and nose on this one: cheese, citrus, floor polish, and a bit of leather. The palate is both sweet and lactic with a hint of incense smoke on the backend. I get some salted caramel, and more lime than lemon as far as citrus. The cheese profile runs more towards ricotta than cream cheese, a d’anjou pear flavor creeps in as well. Nice complexity and varied flavor profile. Would definitely buy another bottle. I wonder if the tree trunk brings a bit more funk than copper. Checking the other reviews, only Rakhal and Jonny had the same batch it appears. I don’t get as much astringency on this raicilla compared to the Las Perlas Costa that I also reviewed, and less bbq. But I am intrigued by the wet dog note that Rakhal mentions. Not sure if it is a big dog or a little dog, long hair or short hair. I think it is closer to a dog coming in from the rain than a dog coming in from the ocean, however there is an interesting nexus in the tasting comments between earth and ocean (olive brine). I am fully on board with the magical quality though.

Bottle 408, ABV: 58.9%
Evergreen trees on the nose, lots of good heat on the palate, finishes with an apple sweetness (think gala or honey crisp) and fresh mint. Flavors linger for a good long while too. Some days you want a 750 of these maguey melate offerings, but with a high abv, you can get into trouble really quickly, so maybe it is a good thing to hang around at 375!

49% abv, 2019, Lot 2
Tried a sample at Maestro in Pasadena in June 2022. Elmer’s glue on the nose, chalk. Tastes of strawberry cream and bubblegum. Slightly oily mouthfeel. Great stuff.

abv 47.1% No batch # available.
A 1.5 ounce sample from a Tahona Mercado Cinco Sentidos tasting. Nose has spearmint and popcorn. Great flavors on the palate: whipped cream, strawberry, minerality, herbaceousness, earthiness, and green beans. Superb stuff, need to get a whole bottle!

47% ABV, Lot # 012019
Earthiness and vinyl on the nose. Great minerality, lemon, rosemary, and bit of apple on the palate. A bit of overripe banana as well, walnut, and a smoked salmon flavor on the backend. A nice lingering heat and spiciness to this one as well. Really enjoyed this expression.

46% ABV, Batch: May, 2019
My wife purchased this bottle at Tahona Mercado in San Francisco in May 2022. I have had several of these Mezcalero releases and they are pretty special and unique. And to be frank, a few have been stellar and among the best mezcal that I have been lucky enough to enjoy. This ensemble is simply fantastic: sweetness from the espadin, floral notes from the jabalí, and a depth of flavor from the tepeztate, wow! I would add more exclamation points, but you get the idea. I get watermelon jolly rancher up front, a kiss of peach and grapefruit, and heat that hangs around like a warm summer evening. So incredibly delicious. Not sure I tasted the strawberry or anise that Jonny and COak mentioned, but I fully agree that this release is unique and robust. Will have to revisit (with my wife’s blessing of course). Got get a bottle if you can get your hands on one or get a sample if you can find one at your local mezcaleria.

ABV 47%, Lot # ENSRAN2006, Bottle #237/246
My wife purchased this bottle and two other NETA releases after a tasting at Madre restaurant in WeHo on June 28, 2021. All of the expressions we tasted were pretty spectacular. This one smells a lot like madrecuixe on the nose: earthy, vegetal, and green. Flavors of mint, earth, and banana with some nice heat, a bit of astringency, and a warm lingering finish. I would think that the espadin would add some extra sweetness but it tastes very madrecuixe forward (not a bad thing at all). The bottle says the ensemble is 50/50 between the two agaves. Have yet to have sampled anything from NETA that isn’t top notch.

48.2% abv, Bottle 42, March 2021, Batch # RAM-TEQ-001
Sweet on the nose with hints of caramel and roasted root vegetables. Wow, such a great “mouthfeel” (I know that term is overused), lots of sugar and sweetness. Rounds out with mint, the heat lingers nicely with traces of pepper and menthol. There is a backbone of minerality that provides some interesting structure to this tequilana (like a good wine). Definitely a crowd pleaser. Another great offering from Victor and Emanuel. Second go around after the first bottle came with the maguey melate club offering last year. Would love to taste this side-by-side with great blanco tequilas from Calle 23, Fortaleza, G4, and La Luna’s Tequilana.

48.7% ABV, Lot# SAN-JAB-001

First tasted this jabalí as a small sampler in one of the maguey melate boxes and really enjoyed it. Decided to get a 375 ml to get a better opportunity to taste this mezcal multiple times. The nose is very light, a bit of peppermint. The taste lingers in the palate with medium heat. A nice bit of peppermint and cedar bark, with a lingering root taste in the mouth like licorice or sassafras. Very much enjoyed this jabalí.

Tried a small sample at the Mexico in a Bottle event in San Diego a few weeks ago. To be honest, my palate was totally overwhelmed with good stuff that day. But this one did stand out, great lingering finish and solid mouthfeel. One of the best things, of many, that I sampled that Sunday.

Bought this bottle last year and I am finally getting around to reviewing as I savor its last drops. Flavors have definitely changed as the bottle has gotten less liquid in it. I know that this agave can be a bit polarizing; I have heard from regular mezcal drinkers that it can make them sick to their stomachs. I actually find this agave in general enjoyable, and this mezcalero’s hand with this agave in particular, very enjoyable. The nose does have some spicy and toasted notes, very interesting. I am getting a bit of that dryer sheet note that others have noted about mexicanos, and a palenqueros mexicano to be specific. The flavors on the palate also have some nut, like almond, sandalwood, and a nice mix of savory and faint sweetness. A touch of black pepper provides some heat and in the background is a touch of astringency. Flavors were stronger and more pronounced when I first opened the bottle. Would definitely purchase a bottle of mexicano from Francisco again, great value.

Bottle 20/109 – 45% ABV – Batch X/2020
Purchased this bottle about a year ago as Agua del Sol was starting to get US distribution. Really like that these bottles are an affordable price point (generally less than $90) and the quality of the product does not suffer. Perfumy and floral, some sweet papaya and tropical fruit flavors, nice even heat and round flavor. There may be some of the faint rubber taste mentioned by Jonny, but not the salinity that both Jonny and Zack mentioned. Not as much fruit or minerality that I have gotten from other tobalás, perhaps a tad thin on the mouthfeel for my taste and could be a bit more balanced as the heat is a bit sharp on the backend as Jonny notes. I definitely have had some better tobalás but this is not disappointing. Solid batch from Berta.