Perfumes of fruit and lavender. Very nice aromas. Notes of green apple, orange, plum, and cream. This is a bit salty. Complex and tasty. I wish this was more widely available.

Totally Angelic. This must be the preferred drink of angels. I’ve been drinking Aquilino’s mezcal for several years. I’ve had many batches and many different varietals. This is my favorite so far. It’s like nothing else I’ve ever tasted. The nose sweet with a bit of cinnamon and a hint of brown sugar. The body is full and creamy. There’s a bit of heat on the back of the palate, but it sits well in the overall profile. The flavors are so well balanced and blended into one another. I get some notes of wet stone, bright green moss, potatoes, and a hint of sweet corn. This reminds me of New Hampshire in the fall with all of it’s transitionally earthy tones, colors, and aromas. Lot A-07-SN-18 from April 2018. Total batch is 84 liters.

Wow! Like a dark cloud pulling a flash of white light from the ground. This stuff is awesome. Intense aromas of cinnamon, cocoa, and wet clay. Big and full on the nose. The first opening of the bottle is an incredible rush of rich aromas. The palate is balanced and thick. Slightly sweet tastes of chocolate covered strawberries and blueberries in cream. A little vanilla shortcake mixing with deep post-rain farmland. Long, semi-sweet finish. Love this!

Very sweet with strong notes of orange peel and freshly brewed coffee. It has slight aromas of green agave and clean sweet peppers. This is good sipped, but probably better in a cocktail. The extended aftertaste of this is a bit of a turnoff.

A good mixer for a cocktail and good for sipping as well. I liked this. I’d give it 3 stars as a sipper and 4 stars as a mixer. Big full agave flavor. Sweet upfront with some hints of sour mud and wet greenery. I think this would make a really good paloma.

MCZ00417. Sweet and flowery aromas. A bit coppery with strong flavors of sweet agave. Very clean and not much smoke. Lots of sugar cane and mint flavors. This is a very tasty Cupreata.

Lot UV07/18. Bottle 255/672. Burnt sweet aromas, like charred orange peels and singed limes. The palate is light but full with notes of green papaya, cashews, and peas. Hints of cinnamon and all spice linger. I’d tasted several MX-only batches of this before it came to the US and it seems like the US batches are the same quality as what they had before in MX. At this price point, I definitely recommend trying it.

Lot CCCM7. Bottle 64/267. Sweet green aromas and slight hints of cold white onions on the nose. The palate is grassy and vegetal with a hint of dust and old books. There’s some heat on the back of the palate, but not unpleasant. This is worth trying but I preferred the Tepeztate and the Coyote from this brand.

Lot CCT27. Bottle 42/254. Smells like sour apples, mud, and wet leaves. How is this done in copper? Tastes a lot like clay or something single distilled with it’s earthiness. Very funky and bit tart. Not what I’d normally expect from a Tepextate, but totally unique.

Lot ACR004. Bottle 91/120. Smells like slate and raw clay. This is very tasty. Hints of orange, vanilla cream, and lemon zest. This is bright and light with a bit of cinnamon cloves. Very good and worth trying.

Smells fresh and full of berries. Sweet blueberries, strawberries, and red raspberries. The palate is full but not chaotic. There’s some clay flavors but this is mostly full of berries, wild apples, and unripe bananas. This is incredibly rich and candy-like with so much fullness in the body.

Smells like green apples. Very fresh, lively, and bright. Slightly sour on the palate with a bit of clay. Hints of dry caramel, candied dates, and granny smith apples. I totally dig this.

47% Cuixe, 35% Espadin, 18% Tepeztate from March 2018. Lot E-03-CET-18. Aromas of sweet apples, maraschino cherries, and red velvet chocolate cake. The palate is heavily perfumed, too much for my liking, but others might love this. Give it a try. It’s a bit grassy and vegetal with earthy notes mixing with salty water taffy. A bit of heat on the back of the palate.

Pure Magic! I’ve tasted a couple batches of this now and it’s all been incredible. I’m not sure how often Tepextate is distilled in clay, but it apparently needs to happen more often. I was lucky enough to grab a 250ml bottle in Oaxaca (wish I’d bought more!). Now that other Lalo releases are available in the US, perhaps the Tepextate will be next. I have a batch from February 2017. It has some slight notes of wild apples, vinegar, and olives on the nose. Nothing overpowering, very light. The palate is sweet upfront with notes of ripe banana, lemon peel, mango, and melon. Those fruity flavors fade into notes of tanned leather and faint charcoal. This is really fantastic!

Edition 1: Aromas of sour apples and slight vinegar. It tastes like a muddled version of the black label La Venenosa, which is also made with Maximiliana. I’m told this is supposed to be their cocktail Raicilla. I’ve yet to have a cocktail with it, but it’s light and a bit funky with some good savory aspects. I could picture this going well in a bloody mary or possibly and daiquiri.

Edition 3: Much more of a sipper than the previous edition I’d tasted. For the price, this really knocks it out of the park. Notes of confectionary sugar, powdered donuts, and rhubarb. This is super sweet and delicious. Really enjoying it as a sipper.

Bright vegetal aromas on the nose. Slight hints of sour apples and sour cream on the palate. A bit watery but still very tasty. This is karwinskii heavy with some strong minerality and earthy vegetal notes. This ensamble is my favorite from Corte Vetusto so far.

This is really tasty. Smoky and earthy. Notes of burnt orange, celery, and black pepper. Slightly buttery with a hint of copper. It’s a bit smokier than I prefer most of my mezcals, but this is definitely worth trying.

51% ABV. Batch from March 2017. Bottle 45/75. Sweet aromas of caramel, honey, and brown sugar. More vegatal aromas of dried tobacco and fresh green olives. The palate has notes of cream cheese. brie, banana peels, unripe pineapple, and prickly pear cactus. This is really awesome. Super round, big bold flavors. Everything I’ve had from Alberto Martinez has been pure magic and this is no exception.

Bright and a bit oily. Very nice viscosity and thick on the palate. Lots of fruity aromas and flavors: orange rind, papaya, and watermelon. This is a cool and tasty experiment. Piney and a bit soapy.

Smells amazing. Aromas of vanilla beans, orange cream, and cocoa. Very sweet across the palate. Notes of sweet roasted agave, blueberry cream cheese, and leather. Very sugary in a sugarcane sort of way. This was enjoyable and one of my favorites that I’ve tried from this brand.