Lot 60. Bottle 356. Delightful fruity aromas: tropical mango, grilled pineapple, and papaya mixing with vanilla bean and a bit of spearmint. Balanced and full on the palate. More notes of grilled pineapple with added hints of aloe vera, mango, charcoal, and leather. This is vibrant but not necessarily bright with the notes of darker tropical fruits. Highly enjoyable.

Vegetal aromas mixing with hints of wet clay, fresh lime, and decomposing leaves. There’s a wet element to the nose on this. The palate has some allspice, clove, more wet clay, and a bit of grilled red meat. It’s hard to believe this producer is so young. The age and antiquity of the region is so present on this. Need to try more from him if/when it becomes available.

Great story and great mezcal! I’m always searching for solid sipping Espadin (It’s not as easy to find as you’d think. There’s a lot of ‘meh’ out there). This Espadin is an exception! The nose is big and floral with some hearty minerality to it. An element of light fruit and citrus aromas as well. The palate carries some smoke, but more minerality and a tough, rugged character. It’s earthy with some hard slate and saltiness. I’m not a boxer, but if I were, I’d want to sip this after a fight.

Lot MAS-C 05-2019. 135 litres. The nose on this is incredible. Very sweet aromas. Notes of dark fruits mixing with aftershave. Peppery palate. Notes of moth balls, black pepper, pickle juice, and cooked asparagus. There’s some heat on this, but it’s worth it. Big payout.

Wild nose! Super complex. Smells like celery, fresh cracked black pepper, pepperoncini peppers, sea salt, vinegar, and chalky minerals. The palate is sweet and floral. Notes of artificial cherry and grape flavoring. A bit of chile and mango as well. Medium finish. Balanced throughout.

Smells fantastic! Aromas of cinnamon, allspice, brown sugar, and sweet butter. Smells like snicker-doodle cookie dough. The palate has notes of dust, old books, and hard cheeses. Extremely dry. Short ashy finish.

Very soft. Smoke, sandalwood, patchouli incense, hemp, dry grass, and hay. The palate is full of earthy variances of the same theme. It’s nice and balanced. This batch is smokier than previous instances I’ve tasted from this maestro, but still have the familiar notes.

Aromas of fresh green apples. All green apples with a faint hint of cinnamon. The palate is big and robust, semi-viscous. Flavor notes are more complex: green apples, brûlée, dark chocolate, tres leches cake, and dark cherries. This is deep and rich.

Aromas of wet clay, green forest after rain, and dark fruits like overripe papaya. Balanced palate with a bit of a sour touch. Notes of green apples, fresh cream, strawberries jam, brûlée, dark fruits, and fine coffee powder.

Sweet aromas of tropical fruit like pomegranate, papaya, and guava. The palate is rich with smoked sweet fruit. Notes of grilled pineapple, green mango, and under-ripe papaya. There’s also some lime and sweet cream notes on this. Really well balanced with a long finish. This is very very nice.

NOE-COY-001. Aromas of sea salt, wet clay, brown sugar, and butterscotch. Delicate palate. Notes of coffee grounds, burnt sugar, freshly ground black peppercorns, and a bit of sandalwood and tobacco. This is soft and balanced. It’s not as slatey as many other Sola de Vega mezcals, allowing more of the agave to come through. Really nice.

It’s taken me awhile to really appreciate Ixcateco mezcal. At first, tasting stuff from Amando Alvarez, it was too meaty and taxidermy-ish for me. But the mouthfeel and subtle complexities have really grown on me. I now find that I’m sometimes only in the mood for mezcal from Ixcatlan. This one from David Rivera Herrera is awesome. The nose has grilled pineapple, clove, vanilla bean, and sweet pork glaze. The palate is thick with a nice saltiness to it. Notes of green olives, paprika, cumin, and jalapeno. The more frequently I open this, the more I enjoy it.

Vol 3. Herbal nose with medicinal qualities of natural mystic healing. Aromas of spearmint, moringa, and peppermint. Smells like white Canada mints. More fresh mint on the palate with a bit of sugary molasses and sweet potato. Thick on the palate. Long finish.

Vol 5. The nose on this thing! So much going on. Aromas of chocolate covered strawberries, white chocolate, vanilla, caramel, brown sugar, and honey. How can an Angustifolia smell like this? The palate has a bit of leather, mixing with more sweet candied notes of chocolate orange, fresh maple syrup, and gooey caramel. A little citrus on the back end. This stuff is phenomenal.

Vol 4. Big nose full of fruit and musk, like if you mashed up blueberries and made them into a men’s cologne. Hints of proscuitto, bacon, soy sauce, and dried fish. It’s also pretty sweet though. A bit of jolly rancher, but I can’t quite tell which flavor, maybe grape.

Vol 4. Jalapeno pepper jack cheese nose. Aromas of nutmeg, peanut, toffee, and clove as well. Palate is complex and down the middle. Like a perfectly made mole sauce: rich, intricate, balanced between savory and spicy. There are some flowery and nutty notes riding through this as well.

Lot F-22-T-18. From Dec 2018. 50 litre batch. Smells like sweet peppers and vanilla crackers. The palate has lots of minerals, which kind of collides with Tepeztate flavor in an odd way. The flavors of this seem chaotic and hard on the palate. 3 stars.

Emigdio from June 2018. 982 litres. 50.6% ABV. Sweet aromas of caramel, candied pecans, and sugary lemon cookies. The palate is really well balanced. It’s light for the ABV, with alcohol or acetone hardly noticeable. There are more flavor notes of sweet baked goods and lemon icing.

Batch from March 2018. From Aquilino. 949 litres total. 51% ABV. This is hot. Real hot. Not in a bad way as it’s also quite complex and pleasant, but this thing has no training wheels. I keep putting this bottle back on the shelf, expecting it to cool down, but I’ve now had it on the shelf for about 2 years. And it’s still hot. The aromas are pleasant however: lilac, perfume, and a bit of lavender. The palate has notes of mesquite, brisket, leather, gunpowder, and graphite. This is a stiff drink in the best possible way.

Super fruity and sugary nose, reminiscent of Fruity Pebbles cereal in aroma. So it’s not quite tropical smelling, but it’s got berries, melons, and some dark tree fruit…. just about everything fruity you can squeeze into a bottle. The palate is a lot drier than the nose. Notes of figs, dried dates, and raisins mixing with a bit of ash and spearmint on the finish. Series 4. 50.5% ABV.