a decent offering from bozal in the ensamble variety. while i normally prefer my ensambles to consist of 100% wilds, this majority espadin ensamble has a nice light and sweet characteristic. the grassy taste of the mexicano comes through in the bottle i had. would like to try another batch and compare
greatly balanced, vegetal mezcal. very soft nose, almost menthol. creamy complex palate, taste of nuts and dried dates. exactly as you would expect from the karwinskii cultivar. finishes slightly bitter which dries the palate for the next pull. pleasurable through and through
a solid classic. this is not the best or most interesting mezcal, but it is one of the OGs. while it lacks complexity, it’s also largely unoffensive. not the best sipper but good in a cocktail.
seriously mediocre mezcal. this mezcal is contract bottled on behalf of ilegal by mal de amor distillery in santiago matatlan. the brand founder, john rexer, is a tourist who decided to capitalize on the mezcal goldrush like many others (gem and bolt comes to mind). what you get is an uninspired poorly produced mezcal that is very astringent to taste with very little complexity and substance. repulsive even. while ilegal has cool branding, it’s a dying brand getting crushed by the new class of quality, competitively priced mezcals. i’ve seen this bottle priced $50+. avoid this trash
tastes like rubbish.. truly god awful and a great example of the commodification of mezcal. gem and bolt was created by two americans who put their brand on something and called it a collaboration. just watch the video on their website. great marketing but shallow product. plus, it costs $50 a bottle? LOL. horrific
very pleasurable experience. i was able to sample this at a local craft spirits bar. high complexity as you would expect from a madrecuishe. extremely aromatic and pleasing aesthetic all around. loses half a star for value (a little high on the price for a mezcal of this caliber). still, worth a try.
sweet nose and palate. thick body with lingering smokey aftertaste. extremely pleasant with no ‘bandaid’ taste present in other mezcals at this price range (xicaru, silencio). will drink again.