Lot CM-ME-1, Bottle 1164 45% ABV
A pretty decent blend. The madrecuishe comes through nicely with woodiness and earth, a good dose of smoke and black pepper. Good hit of sweetness as well and crème brulé. There is an off burnt rubber flavor on the backend, but it goes away after the mezcal sits for a while.

45% ABV Lot CM-ET-0821 Bottle #829
The blend brings in a nuttiness that is absent in the straight tobala but I got in the espadin. As with all of these expressions, some light flavors and good balance. This ensemble has a bit more heat and black pepper spice on the tongue. A good amount of spearmint, still some of that orange blossom from the tobala and a kiss of rosewater. Decent overall, enjoyable to sip and let open up.

45% ABV Lot CM-T-0821 Bottle #666

Nose has a bit of coriander and allspice and a pleasant mustiness. On the palate, a touch of minerality, a bit of toothpaste, orange blossom, rosewater, and a light sweetness. Pretty solid for the ABV. None of the off-smoke flavors I got from some of the other expressions from Casa Manglar. I have come to enjoy the milder and subdued flavors from this brand.

Mezcalera: Cuquis Cortez Ramos 47% ABV Lot: MAD-VII-2021

A ton of fresh cut grass on the nose, pretty standard karwinskii/madrecuixe profile. The flavors have a great mix of herbaceousness, spices, and minerals. Coriander, and I get candy corn too (which normally I dislike, but here was very nice). Sublime. I am pretty impressed by how different this madrecuixe is from the Ramos (Gusto Historico) offering, both from Miahuatlan. Sometimes, you can drill down on terroir, and think that a region has a “flavor” or a “profile” and then the hand of the mezcalera/o enters in the equation and messes up what you perceive to be that thing. Both the Cuish and the Gusto Historico had the same oven roast (conical pit), the same fermentation ( sabino wood), well water, and cooper still with referescadora. So glad to have my world rocked.

ABV 49.1% Batch ER.04.21.MCX

Doing a side-by-side tasting with a madrecuixe from Cuish. Sweet and vegetal on the nose, and aromas of fall fruit (pears, apples, and persimmon). The flavors are sharp initially on the palate and then settle down to minerality, lemongrass, green tea, and candied sweetness (yams and sweet potatoes). The heat lingers nicely and the mouthfeel is a tad oily, creamy, and viscous. On the backend, there is a bit of astringency and citrus pith. Fantastic karwinskii, reminding me of why it is never a good thing to get to fixated on one agave, maestra/o, region, or brand. Have to keep rotating….

Lot CM-M-0821 Bottle 377 45% ABV
Don’t get the typical green or woodiness from madrecuishe on the nose, just a bit of campfire and mesquite. Flavors are interesting: a generous does of heat, a nice flavor of a fruit packed in syrup (think fruit cocktail), aromas of pine, and green watermelon rind. Mouthfeel is also a bit thin like the espadin. Not as herbaceous as some madrecuishes that I have tried, but it has some interesting flavors and nice overall balance.

Lot CM-E-0821 Bottle 0867 45% ABV

Very light espadin, mild and clean nose with a faint whisp of smoke. On the palate: a bit of shoe leather, a touch of anise, celery, a faint bitterness, pine resin, and a nutty taste. A bit thin and the flavors dissipate quickly though there is a nice lingering heat. Would be a good choice for cocktails.

Sampled at San Laurel in DTLA, did not catch the batch # or ABV. Nice minerality on the nose. Sweet and floral flavors. A bit of backend black pepper heat and pop rocks! Creamy mouthfeel and a bit of stone fruit, maybe peach. Really nice. Worth investing in a bottle.

Bottle 40/172, Batch # MCTEL20 ABV 45.6 Tasted a 1.5 oz pour at Astrid in Downtown Los Angeles. Juniper on the nose lots of evergreen. Flavors of pine, sweet syrup, minerals. And black pepper. Really well balanced and flavorful. 4.25 stars.

Lot LNE-04 ABV 49%
Another fine mezcal aged in glass. On the nose is some of that mesquite smoke, toasted caramel, and a bit of melon. The palate has a strong pineapple flavor up front, but on the back end, you get this astringency and a tartness. In-between though a huge mix of these other flavors: minerality, floral notes, and some baking spices. Great complexity and richness. I picked up my bottle for under $90, so a good deal in my book. 4.25 stars/5

ABV 50% Lot:TBS2201-22a

Picked this 200 ml bottle up at El Grifo in Condensa Mexico City March, 2022. Nose has a great sweetness, candy for days. Such great flavor on this one: candied tropical fruit, bread pudding, minerality, and floral tones. A very enjoyable peppery heat. The ABV holds its own and wish I had gotten a 750. Great juice!

Tasted a 1.5 oz pour at Astrid in Los Angeles on June 14, 2022. Great sweetness. Mild minerality and poached pear. Really a nice Espadin with a fresh heat and sweet caramel. Agree with the other reviewers about it being a really nice sipping espadin. Did not catch the batch number, ABV was 45%. My guess is a more recent batch than the other reviewers had sampled.

ABV 48.1% Lot #RWPENS001
My wife purchased this bottle and two other bottles of NETA after a tasting at Madre Restaurant in West Hollywood at the end of June 2021. I do like a straight jabili, and I am still trying to locate the foundation of what the flavors of a jabili happen to be. This blend seems to take the jabili out of the front seat though. This expression has mild fruit on the nose, a bit of mango as well as a latex aroma and candlewax. The flavor is altogether different, floral, mildly sweet, a slight astringent character, and a coriander flavor. The heat is medium and the flavor lingers a short while on the palate. While I think the espadin adds a nice balance, I do still prefer the straight flavor of a 100% jabili. Admittedly, the difficult process of fermenting and distilling this agave can necessitate making an ensemble. On the whole, this is still a very well-made mezcal, more of a 4.25 out of 5 stars for me.

ABV 47.5% Lot # AE-XXSMS/F Bottle 210/450

I picked up this bottle along with a Mezcalero special release #25 that was also a tobalá to taste side-by-side. Flavors have thinned out as the bottle has been open for several months. There is an underripe cherry flavor on the front end, some smoke mid palate that has a bit of burnt rubber, a tart apple, and a dry finish. Nothing from the clay that shows up. I remember when I first opened the bottle the flavors were sharper and more pronounced. Could be that the oxygen has made the mezcal less potent, but that has not been my experience with other bottles where the flavors get denser and richer as the bottle gets less liquid in it. I agree with Jonny’s and Tyler’s assessment that it is somewhat underwhelming. I did see a review on YouTube recently by Tequila Aficionado’s “Sipping Off the Cuff” and they raved about it calling it bright and peppery.

ABV: 47.% Batch: March 2013, Bottled 2019, Lot 25

Picked up this bottle last summer from Caddell and Williams along with 20th anniversary edition of Alipus that is also a tobalá to taste side-by-side. The aging in glass does not seem to bring out more flavors or make it fuller and rounder. The nose has some floral notes, an herbaceous aroma, and a light smoke and a whisp of gasoline. On the palate there is a sharp anise-like flavor that starts up front and stays through the whole sip, could be that banana-runt flavor that others mention. It can be a little off putting. It does have some heat that lingers nicely and a faint plantain flavor. There is also flavor that reminds me of a candy, Good and Plenty, could be that anise-like quality though.

49% abv, Lot: DVCES-19

Very excited to finally get my hands on a bottle after so much buildup and anticipation. Does not disappoint either. A smooth espadin that has great subtlety and subdued flavors. Lovely sweetness that brings some chocolate flavors along with clove. I do wish the bottles came in 750s rather than 375s, but I realize more juice can get out there and the price point comes down as well. I also tried the madrecuixe and tobalá at a tasting hosted at Maestro in Pasadena, CA with Asis Cortes on March 3, 2022. I did not take tasting notes on those pours but they were also very tasty, especially the madrecuixe to my recollection.

ABV 53% Bottle: 416 Batch 2 (?)

Something special about this release from Maguey Melate. Appreciated the deep dive in club chat about this one, whether it is the process, the agave, or the pulque used to speed fermentation that adds that funky note as well as the wide-ranging conversation amongst the club members about the flavor profile. The nose has the cheesy, lactic scent but it also has some floral undertones and honey essence. The tastes on the palate keep changing with each sip: trying to nail down that cheesy note, definitely a sheep type cheese, maybe feta, but also reminds of cotija. There is some brine in here too, a bit of lime zest, artichoke, and sharp heat. Such a ride! 4.25/5 stars for me

ABV 50% Lot#CEN-C 13-05-2019

Really have enjoyed the few cenizos that I have tried. The more that I sample mezcals outside of Oaxaca, the more I impressed by their quality and range of flavors. Really glad to see more brands go the extra mile to bring some undiscovered mezcaleros and their mezcales to broader distribution. This cenizo is quite special. Pine and lemon peel on the nose with a faint whiff of paint thinner. The flavor is quite strong, with pine tar, gravel, sand, and earth, and a crazy minerality. It reminds me of the smell from an uprooted pine tree. There is a sharp heat that fades quickly. On the back end of the palate, there is that lemon peel and citrus note. The flavors linger on the tongue for a while. I could see how this flavor profile would not be for everyone, especially if the flavors you prefer are more fruit-forward and candy flavored. But this one just knocks my socks off. Reminds me of some raicillas that I have tried. Looking over the other reviews, not sure I get the mothballs, green pepper, jalapeño, or apple jollyranchers, but there may be something to the ginger ale note that Zach mentioned.

Eleazar Brena 48% No Batch #
Picked up this 250 ml bottle at El Grifo in Condensa in March. The label says an Agave Sp, but the description above says it is a Karwinskii and the flavors do seem reminiscent of a Karwinskii, could be the power of suggestion though. A bit of permanent marker on the nose, a tropical fruit sweetness, and an herbal and woody note. A strong set of flavors on the palate, some tropic fruit for sure, nice spice and heat, and a minerality that shines through. Pretty solid offering.

ABV 48.8% Batch #0321JB
First exposed to Sacatoro as part of a Maguey Melate club release (I believe it was Apolinar) and really enjoyed it. This bottle only continues to pique my interest in this maguey. The nose brings some sharp aromas of sugarcane and sweetgrass as well as decomposing earth, the flavor is quite varied on the palate, some plastic flavor that moves into a full range of baking spice notes, a grapefruit or pomelo citrus flavor with some of the pith, some roasted macadamia nuts, a caramel coating that then departs with a subdued lingering heat. Really nice and very complex. Want to try more from this producer and expressions using this maguey.