ABV 47.89% September 2020 Lot MGG-12T

Green on the nose, and I also get the smell of purple Nerds (the candy) on some tepeztates this one included, not sure why some over others, also an aroma of grape must. Plenty of heat on this Tep, a strong pepper note, a rounded sweetness that lingers, but not cloyingly sweet. Some light fruit and grape notes, a nice vegetal flavor as well, like roasted Brussels sprouts. Not as much minerality as I usually get from Teps, nor as complex as others, but I have had some stellar Teps from top-end mezcaleras/os so the bar is pretty high. Definitely spicy and hot though, lingering long in the finish. A solid tepeztate that does not disappoint. (3.75 out of 5)

Angel Cruz Robles ABV 46.36% July 2020 Lot# ACR033

Nice creamy mouthful, a bit of that Bubbalicious bubble gum, a nice lemon grass note, a flavor that reminds of an artificial sweetener like aspartame, a mix of cherry and strawberry in there as well, and a bit astringent and acidic on the back end. Just a hint of the clay pot distillation. A nice espadin, good as a sipper and potentially in a cocktail. (3.75/5)

ABV 46.5% December 2020 Lot ACR046
Not sure if this is wild or cultivated Coyote, but I don’t get a rush of aromas, very faint. Some cooked agave, ginger root, and a rustic smell like an open barn. Definitely a wet hay note on the palate that starts up front and runs through the whole thing, not unpleasant. There is also a burnt rubber or hot innertube flavor (think tubing on a hot summer day). Sweet tea flavors as well as some herbal qualities. Not as robust as some other Americanas I have tried, and not as much of that clay distillation note that I like as well. Still there are some flavors in this mezcal that are worth exploring.

46.7% ABV, Lot # is partially scratched out, but it begins 0414

Big fan of these mezcales rested in glass. I think that the profile changes and the flavors get rounder and more pronounced. Raisins on the nose with dashes of clove. The taste has that raisin and fig, a bit of that clove and allspice too, low key notes of wood like pine. At the back end, it tastes like this Japanese rice candy I used to eat as a kid. Might be a little of that strawberry that others hit upon too. It does have that mouthfeel (sorry) of clay distillation but it could be the effect of resting in glass. Good heat with the ABV too. Bottle is about half finished so the taste has gotten stronger if that is possible.

ABV 47.86% Sept. 2020 Lot MGG-13C
Aromas of fresh cut grass, wet earth, and wet wood. Another hot mezcal from Serafin, seems to punch above its 47% abv. Balanced and very flavorful, what I like about a good cuish. Dried tobacco leaf, artichoke, pine tar, freshly cooked chickpeas, a light sweetness right between apple and citrus, and a touch of acidity. Good complexity and wide spectrum of flavors that I enjoy in a well-made cuish.

Cuish – Cerrudo (Americana) – Rufino Felipe 46% ABV, Lot #RF-MC-XII/20
I know there are more tepeztate and jabali fans out there, but the Americana should not be overlooked. It is also a rare agave and can take up to two decades to mature, but does it have some crazy complexity and a wide range of notes based upon how it is harvested, trimmed, processed, cooked, fermented, and distilled. I have a different batch that the one Zack tried, and it is vastly different from what he sipped. Nose is light with faint cherry, campfire, and candy aromas. The flavor hits harder: mint, menthol, dark wood, minerality, and echoes of cardamom and anise. Rounds out nicely with good heat lingering and the clay pots from the distillation hanging around. I would recommend letting this sit and open up after you pour it, you won’t be disappointed.

Cuish – Espadin – Teodomiro Santiago – 48% ABV, Lot # 03LACH2/21
I have had other espadins from Cuish and really liked their sweetness, lots of fruits, candy, and baking spices. This nose and taste on this one threw me for a loop. Lots of brine and up-front flavors that are more savory and salty. Could be the well water. The sweetness was more in the background and still had some other fruit flavors like persimmon and green banana. Some spice like clove. Definitely took me a while to wrap my palate around this one, but it has some really nice subtle flavors that I like, and not ones that are familiar either from other espadins.

Palenqueros – Valente Garcia – Espadin-Mexicano-Bicuishe ABV 49.5% Batch: VGEN01

I was way too intrigued by the tasting notes not to go out and seek this bottle. And while it was hard to not taste the “dryer-sheet” as was described by others, there were some other ways to describe that flavor profile. It does come across as very mineral forward, maybe soapstone, and the main flavor could be described as soap or just astringent, but I very much can taste that dryer sheet even though part of me thinks it is the power of suggestion. I have tasted a Valente Garcia straight Mexicano and thought it was really good without as much of that dryer sheet note. Not sure if the well water makes this flavor profile or not; there is no indication on the bottle of the water source for his palenque. This ensemble is unique for sure. Hard to think of anything else like it that I have tasted before.

June 2019, 50.2% ABV Lot A-08-EL-19

So I am torn in on this release, I have tasted the espadin and the mexicano by Aquilino and really like both. I have sipped on this bottle for a while, and I just don’t think it works for me. Nose has some sweet notes, a bit of mint, candle wax, chewing gum, and Windex. The taste does have the corn up front and through the palate and onto the finish, but it does not seem to blend well with the espadin. There is another flavor that also masks the agave. Like the flavor lays on top so you can’t get to the agave underneath. I wonder if this is the batch or just that a pechuga with other flavors may find a better way to blend into the mezcal. Could be that the bottle got too much oxygen and caused the flavors to get unbalanced.

ABV: 49% Lot #: ARRO-8d1A (hard to make out lot # on bottle)
Last quarter of this bottle, generally have a harder time placing the flavor profile of Arroqueno compared to an espadin or other magueys. I have noticed some can be a little green and others pretty sweet and nuanced. This one has more of that sweet profile. This is sweet on the nose, poached fruit, and candy, not much smoke. The taste has some ginger and honeysuckle, a nice heat through the palate, and sharp, not unpleasant, aftertaste. Not much minerality or vegetal notes, but has some other undertones that I cannot place. More of a 3.75/5 stars for me.

Bottle I picked up in Mexico City, Condesa at El Grifo in 2019. Lot: P01-2014, Bottle #194. Not sure of the agave, but I imagine it is Espadin. Has light fruit on the nose and the hint of bubblegum. Not sure what else is used besides the chicken in the pechuga, but blasts of lemon grass on the front, nutty notes, with a fruit backbone, perhaps some arroz coming through as well. Faint hints of spices like cinnamon and clove. Bottle has sat for a couple years before my review, but still tasty. Not like other pechugas that I have tasted. Lingering spicy finish. Would definitely recommend for the pechuga enthusiast.

March 2018 distillation, bottle 13/243, 231 liters produced. Bought this bottle in 2019 at El Grifo in Condesa, Mexico City before the brand had distribution in the US. Still have a small amount left in the bottle. I have tasted this side by side with other Teps, and it holds up quite well. Classic Tepeztate aromas on the nose: green, vegetal, and earthy. On the palate: minerality, lemon peel, lingering heat, and herbs. It is not sweet, more savory and slightly astringent. Really nice.

Lot: CHI-205, 48% abv A bit of leather on the nose, sweet briefly up front, some fruit notes like pear and plum with a hint of bubblegum, and then lingering smoke in the finish. I also get a touch of anise and mint. The heat does last for a while. While this is the last of this bottle, it does still hold up well. I agree with others that there are better Espadins for the price (Vago and Cuish come to mind), and lots of competition from new brands and mezcaleras getting more distribution.

Lot #SDA-191 Down to the last few sips of this bottle, and the flavors have concentrated. Sweet nose with faint smoke, tastes of pear and persimmon, lingering heat and a touch of minerality on the palate. Has great balance and flavor. I think Del Maguey stills stands up though not all of the offerings are equal. (some single villages are not created equal). Would buy this bottle again if I could find it under $70.

Lote: Cuish-1, Bottle 319/600, ABV 48%

The nose is very faint on this batch, but the flavors at first are very green, typical of Karwinskii. The palate is herbal up front, with some vegetal overtones. Then there is spice, a bit of clove. On the back end some faint fruit notes like strawberry. Throughout there is a grassy note that lingers, but not unpleasant. Would consider buying another bottle from this mezcalero and a different batch.

My bottle is a 47.4% abv, so I have a different batch than is listed above. Fermentation in cypress vats, using well water, and adjusted after distillation with puntas and colas. Batch # 0520ER. I have two bottles from Victor Ramos via Mezcaloteca of Jabili/Esapdin and Tepeztate that are outstanding. Among the best mezcales that I have ever tasted.

I am thoroughly enjoying this bottle as well. The nose and first sip had a meat-like flavor, like cured sausage and a wood flavor that could be mesquite. The flavor on the palate moves to pine and bit of cardamom. The abv does not make it too hot, and the flavor does not have the candy or fruit -like qualities mentioned by the other reviews from the previous batch. Would buy another Ramos offering without even knowing the agave.

No production date on my bottle, but it has the same ABV (48.1), and the other production details seem to be the same: pre-hispanic oven, fermented in white pine vats, copper distillation, and adjusted after distillation with puntas and colas. I have not been a fan of cupreata previously, but I am changing my tune (could have been the region). I tasted a couple different Mal Bien offerings of Cupreata, but not through agave mix tape. One in a mixed tasting box connected with Agave Road Trip was a 46.2% Cupreata, which may be have been Tomas and Emiliano Gutierrez, and another tasting through the restaurant Madre that had three different papalotes (capon, en vidrio, and joven all from Tomas and Emiliano). Definitely opened my eyes to the possibilities with papalote.

I really like these flavors, I get earth with a hint of clay (surprising given the copper distillation), a couple other mineral notes, an upfront sweetness that changes to wood flavors on the back end (cedar and light incense). The flavors are light, but linger nicely on the back of the palate. I do sometimes crave the flavors that are heavy and upfront, punching you in the face, but it is nice to sit on a mezcal, sip it over a few minutes, and wait for the flavors to reveal themselves on repeated tastes. A faint green flavor on the nose that I cannot place, green onion? Not sure I get the mint that Tyler was tasting, but it does have something vegetal/herbal going on that is tough to place. Worth revisiting.

April 2019 Lot E-20-TOB-19. ABV 50.6%. One of my favorite tobalas hands down. Mild roasted agave on the nose but the sweetness in the taste starts up front and lingers for a good long while. Straight raw sugar cane. The nose has a light floral scent and peppermint candy (candy cane). The heat from the abv lingers very briefly but warms the palate longer. Hints of lemon zest and honeysuckle too. Wish I had bought two bottles at $95!

July 2019 Batch, 50.7% alcohol, Batch Size 1095 liters.
Lots of pineapple on this one, front and back of the palate. For a high abv, smooth and not much spice. Gets hotter on repeated sips, but still very fruit forward.

2018 Series 3, 48.8% alcohol
Almonds on the nose, wonderful sweet flavor on the palate of cooked agave, a little spice, very well balanced and light background notes of minerals and fruit, but nothing overpowering. Very enjoyable. Also pairs really well with Mexican chocolate.