Lot 33. Slightly sour aromas and wet clay feel. Wild apples and fermented potatoes on the nose. I find this overly watery and thin on the palate with notes of orange peel and fresh dates. There’s a deep earthy funk on this that really takes over. This is more clay-forward than agave-forward, which is unfortunate given its Arroqueno.

Nail polish! This has bright nail polish aromas and strong nail polish flavor. This is hot hot hot and has hints of industrial chemicals. I did not enjoy this.

This is letdown in comparison to the Tepextate. This has light aromas of salt, minerality, and prunes. The palate is thin with notes of dried prunes, sour apples, and unripe banana. Very dry with a short finish that has a slight burn to it. Overall, this is hot across the palate and too thin for my liking.

BIG green aromas. Fresh green peppers, bell peppers, and tomatillo on the nose. Viscous and think on the palate. Flavor notes of burnt orange peel, fresh green peppers, and vanilla beans. Medium finish and very smooth throughout. Low acidity with almost no bite whatsoever.

Smells dusty, like old books and dusty flowers. Some tasting notes of lavender, all spice, and cumin, but there’s almost a fishy element to this with some salinity. It’s all over the palate but not in a good way. It seems there’s nothing cohesive about this flavor experience aside for the presence of fish. The finish is hot and tastes somewhat like motor oil.

Lot 001. Clean on the nose. I don’t get a ton of aroma, but the palate is bright and flavorful. It has notes of butterscotch and candied yams. There is a lot of Jabali flavor and character on this, especially considering the Jabali is such a low percentage of it. The Jabali really shines through. This is my favorite of the Mala Idea releases.

We tasted this back to back with the Alipus Ensamble, which is made by the same mezcalero (Don Valente) with the same agave (Espadin y Bicuishe). I’m not sure if the percentages of these agave are the same between these two bottles, but they have almost identical aromas. They both share the similar cotton candy and bubble gum notes that are also present in Don Valente’s Alipus San Andres as well. From what I could taste and smell, it seems like the De Cabra is the same mezcal as the Ensamble, but just with the added complexities of being buried in goat turd for six months. It’s mellow but still has some punch and a lot of wild character.

Lot SCM 113. Found an old wax-top bottle of this and absolutely had to buy it. I buy all Del Maguey that I find with a wax top. The bottles look better and the mezcal has that additional age from being on the shelf so long. This one from 2011 is awesome! The age has done it well as I like it a lot more than some of the newer batches I’ve tasted. I’m really enjoying this a lot. If you like clay pot distilled mezcal, this is a must. It’s beautifully balanced. Aromas of wet clay and fermented herbs. The body has incredible finesse with notes of charcoal, fresh lime, and lemon zest. This is a really nice clay mezcal.

Lot 005. This smells incredible. Aromas of sweet agave and sour fermented herbs. The palate is a bit of a letdown. Classic grassy and herbal notes of lavender and freshly cut greens. Unfortunately watery and subdued flavor. This is really thin and tastes very watered down. Not recommended.

Lot 01 from 2017. I get a lot of sugar and sweetness upfront on this. It’s incredibly easy to drink for 48% with almost no scent or taste of alcohol. Notes of caramel and salt water taffy. It’s got some nice hints of earth and raw green herbs as well. Very happy with this mezcal.

Lot RMB-04 from 2016. 52% ABV. Chocolate aromas!!! Lots of dark, rich chocolate on the nose with a bit of blueberry and strawberry. The palate has some clay and nice thickness. It’s really well balanced and full. tastes of sweet potato, banana, and dark chocolate. It seems at times that Real Minero is so far ahead of everything else and this mezcal is no exception. It’s another amazing creation from them. Can’t get enough of it.

Lot PECH-01 at 49.2%. Lots of anise and lavender aromas. One the palate are notes of dried peach and dried mango. Tastes of herbs, thyme, mint, anise, and lemongrass. Very herbal and not much meat. Not super viscous, but also not super thin. Nicely balanced.

Limited Edition from 2014. TOB-01. Bottle 628 of 1000. Fruit and lavender on the nose. Very well balanced and great viscosity. This has tasting notes of charred apples, tangerine, and watermelon. I highly enjoyed this Tobala and would absolutely order it again.

SCM 141 at 49%. This tastes lovely. Clay on the nose. Lots of clay on the palate. Very mellow and balanced.

Lot RMT-01. Bottle 102/120 from 2015. This has some classic Mexicano tastes of dark rich chocolate mixed with wet leaves in the fall. It kind of smells and tastes like autumn in New Hampshire. This is hard to find and totally worth the search.

Lot 713. Bottle 168/450. I was super excited to taste this as I’d never seen it in person before. Unfortunately I was sorely disappointed. It has some light, sweet aromas of caramel and banana, but I found it a little light and watery. Light notes of plantains, lime, and grape, but nothing really jumping out to me. At the price, there are way more pleasurable Tobala out there.

Lot DS003-FR from September 2017. Bottle 231/516. The name says it all! This is as close to fruit punch as you can get. It smells like fruit punch and tastes like fruit punch. Very sweet aromas of tropical fruit. Rounded and warm on the palate. Soft touches of pineapple, oranges, and rich guava fruit. This is actually refreshing, like I’d want to drink it on a warm sunny day. Totally unique and really really tasty.

Batch RM2-01 from 2014. Bottle 81/709. Very nice aromas of wet clay, humidity, and vanilla beans. This is thick and viscous. Really nice in the mouth. Well rounded with tastes of fresh fruit and soft malleable clay.

Lot 005-CUX from 2014. Produced by Ignacio Parada. Bottle 117/290. El Jolgorio is super high in my book of favorite mezcals. They bottle and release some of my all time favorites and Ignacio Parada specifically makes some of my favorite stuff. That said, this is the first one to really disappoint me. Perhaps I just tried an off batch? It smelled like a wet ash tray with some slight floral aromas, but mostly just old wet ash. The ash continued to the palate as well. It tasted like someone took a bottle of really good mezcal and put out a lit cigarette in it. Perhaps other batches of this are drastically different.

Sweet and fruity on the nose. Rich aromas! Floral palate that’s also full and rich with deep, dark fruit and light touches of pollen and fresh rain. This is my favorite Del Maguey on the market. They’ve really outdone themselves with this one.