46% version. This has strong scents of tropical fruit, sweet agave, and flower pollen. The taste is a bit spicy with notes of jalapeno, black pepper, and winter squash. I liked this a lot and it’s a great deal at the price.

Lot DS006-PC from September 2017. It’s really interesting to taste Romulo’s take on a pechuga. I’ve been drinking Rey Campero for years and though there are similarities, this is quite unique from anything else I’ve tasted from him. The pineapple really stands out in this. I get a lot of it on the nose and a lot on the palate. The meatiness of the quail balances it nicely. The cross between the smoked quail and the strong pineapple citrus give this a serious tropical feeling that’s light and enjoyable.

Lot 01/JAB. Awesome Jabali. Cotton candy and butterscotch on the nose. Slight sweet pepper aromas. The flavor is buttery with a bit of all spice. Flavor notes of caramel, butterscotch, and burnt orange peel. This Jabali is a bit less wild and extravagant than some other Jabali mezcals that I’ve tasted. This one is more controlled and succinct. It’s more mellow and less bipolar or manic.

This is REALLY good! Aromas of dark chocolate, freshly cut lavender, and light flower pollen. tastes of orange blossoms and fresh vanilla beans. Super complex! Round in the mouth with a bright punch of sweet red grapes. I was surprised to see that any of this was still around given it came out years ago and was a relatively small batch. I’m glad that someone stored away a few extra bottles of this, because it’s amazing.

Batch RMTR-01 from 2016. Bottle 61/126. Aromas of peanuts, smoked pork belly, and smoked figs. Hints of clay on the palate with slight sour notes of apple and white onion. This mezcal is wet, like water running over riverbed clay. It’s a super rare find and 100% worth tasting.

Love these Wahaka special releases. I’ve had several of them now and they’re all unique. This mezcal is very clean and almost scentless. Tasting notes include wild apples followed by ripe green vegetables, with a thick mouthfeel! There’s also a slight hint of charcoal and tanned leather that is quite pleasant. These bottles can be pricey, but definitely worth trying. Lote: ORGULLO-10-AMM. Bottle 35/306.

Aromas of cashews and ripe tropical fruit. This is highly perfumed on the palate and slightly burnt. This is the same Mezcalero as the Koch Tobaziche and it’s not the best I’ve tased. But the Bozal bottling of this is significantly less expensive than the Koch. It’s overly thin and lingering on the palate.

Floral nose and very milky on the palate. This mezcal is loose and freewheeling. I like it a lot. It’s has some forward sweet notes and notes of rose pedals and tangerine. Some umami mixes with the velvety texture.

I’m more of a fan of higher ABV mezcals for sipping neat, but this one is good regardless. The flavor notes are a bit muddled at 40% ABV, but I believe this is really engineered for cocktails, so the lower ABV makes sense in that context. This is a great choice for cocktails and offers a lot more texture and flavor than the El Silencio Joven. I’d highly recommend using this if you’re looking to make a traditional cocktail and want to add a bit of sweetness and smoke. This is a good choice.

Thick and viscous. This one coats the entire mouth with nice notes of cinnamon, all spice, and red pepper flakes. It has dark notes that linger on the back of palate. This is one of my favorite mezcals from Koch.

Vegetal and spicy. Viscous. This is enjoyable with notes of orange cream and fresh green vegetables pulled recently from the earth. I don’t like this quite as much as the Mexicano, but still really good.

Lot 47. Aromas of clay, wet leaves, and bit of plastic and rubber. The palate is very earthy up front with big notes of clay and terre rouge, but that quickly fades into a thinner middle and quick finish that has hints of corn husk. I still don’t love this new batch, but it seems like an improvement on what I tasted previously. 3 stars.

Batch from 3yrs ago (didn’t catch batch number unfortunately). Rated this at 2 stars. Not a fan. Like the Rustico, this mezcal is sour and has hints of chemicals. It has aromas of damp firewood and tasting notes of sourdough bread and unripe bananas. The sour aspects of this take over. The Real Minero Largo is also made in Minas with clay pots and it’s incredible, so I had high hopes for this one. Unfortunately, those hopes were not met.

I’m more a fan of higher ABV mezcal, so this seemed a bit watery to me. It’s made mostly for cocktails, not sipping neat, so the lower ABV is understandable. That said, it has some muted notes of all spice and burnt orange peel that are pleasant. As a mixer, I’d say this is probably a good choice and would give it four stars for use in cocktails, but I don’t recommend this if you’re looking to sip mezcal neat.

Lot 18. Green on the nose. Very bright crisp aromas of green peppers and bell peppers. Lots of pepper on the nose. The taste is much different. Slightly charred taste that is much darker with notes of dark cherry, ripe plum, and and juicy, dark mango. I like this a lot but it’s a bit surprising. The nose and palate take you in completely opposite directions. Super interesting mezcal.

Lot A-10-TCE-17. Cuixe, Tepextate, and Espadin from June 2017. Slightly perfumed. Aromas of lemon, lilac, and apple blossom. Flavor notes of fresh green vegetation. Soft touches of white pepper, asparagus, leather, and charcoal. This is hot, but has tons of flavor. It’s a small batch of 172 liters so definitely worth trying.

Edition 20 from 2016. This doesn’t have many strong aromas. Slight hints of rose. This is very light on the palate. It’s dry with notes of green grapes and olive oil. This probably best used as a mixer.

Sweet caramel and vanilla aromas. Bright, big, round flavors. Notes of candied orange and fresh vanilla beans.

Very buttery and fruit-forward on the nose. Aromas of honey, pollen, cantaloupe and cashews. Balanced palate with more notes of cashews and honey, as well as graham crackers and a bit of cinnamon. Light and rich in character. Great for sipping neat or using in cocktails

Absolutely incredible!!! The nose has notes of dusty dry oranges and lime crisps. Whoa! This is all over the palate. It has some unique dynamics that I’ve never tasted in mezcal. Strong notes of cinnamon, lime, chili peppers, and tomatillo. It pulls in sweet and spicy directions at once and is incredibly complex. This is absolutely fantastic. Batch DS002-3M.

Batch NJ101-17. Really tasty! This is very light and easy to drink while remaining full in flavor and rich. Well balanced on the nose. Aromas of burnt tangerine and a bit of ash. This mezcal has peat on the palate with notes of smoke, thick vanilla, and mesquite. This is definitely worth tasting and the bottles are cheap (relatively)! Try it.