Batch C-001B, distilled 2015. A very mild mezcal. Buttery and sweet with a lot of cane sugar.
Lot PV00-11042017, distilled April 2017. Departing from the unanimous praise from earlier tasters, this was rather a disappointment for me at a blind tasting. I find it a bit insipid, with a perfume-like sweetness dominating the palate.
Emigdio Jarquín, lot E-10/15-E-17, distilled 2017. This is a very pleasant mezcal which is all about balance. It has sweetness and minerality and a distinct fruitiness, all round up in an enjoyable whole. Still. it may not have the complexity of the very best espadíns.
There are several espadíns from Koch. The one I tasted was made by Israel Palestino (incredible name, btw) in San Juan Bautista Jayacatlán. Lot MK001/17JAY. It’s a beautiful mezcal with a plethora of tastes: marzipan, bell pepper, jalapeños, and more. A true delight to drink.
Distilled 2017. In a comparative tasting of six different top-quality espadíns, this one was perhaps the winner. It’s spectacularly complex, with beautiful floral notes, minerality and agave sweetness working together to create an extremely well-balanced whole. Proof that a great espadín can compete with any mezcal.
Lot 08. A very pleasant, but also rather light espadín. Sweet and well-balanced but lacking a bit of complexity. Would perhaps benefit from a higher ABV. Still, a well-made, enjoyable mezcal.
Edition 06, distilled 2014. Quite vegetal, like a lawn after rainfall. Notes of mint, rubber and jalapeños. Mineral finish. Well-balanced and very enjoyable.
Lot 02, distilled 2018. Oh yes, just what one needs after another sad day of confinement – or any type of day, actually! Lots of flavours but balanced and soft at the same time. Warming without burn. Sandalwood, brown sugar, liquorice, milk chocolate, some cheese, all the time with a clear, underlying taste of agave. Very long aftertaste.
Lot CHI-142. Nothing in particular stands out in this espadín which may make you think it’s dull, but in reality this is a very well-balanced and pleasant drink. It’s more sweet than fruity with notes of almond paste and sugarcane and a creamy mouthfeel. Some paprika-like bitterness adds complexity. An earlier reviewer mentioned bacon and I agree with that. But it’s the fatty, rich taste of bacon rather than smoke. All in all, a great mezcal for the beginner – and the rest of us.
Lot RMP-01, distilled 2014. I have largely avoided pechugas, finding the few previously sampled to taste too much of chicken soup. But this one is clearly different. A very strong taste, but just a hint of chicken. Instead, standing out are the flavours of liquorice or cough syrup or lapsang souchong tea as well as Christmas cake spices (especially cloves). Definitely the right time of the year to try this! There is evidence of clay distillation and also a whiff of mint. It’s a very dry mezcal without much agave sweetness. The aftertaste is all about salty liquorice and clay. Close to five stars.
Lot S-06-TOB-16, distilled April 2016. This is a wonderfully rich and complex mezcal. Tropical fruits and dried apricot provide a pronounced sweetness which is balanced against the earthy notes from the clay distillation. And, as has already been said by others, there is a distinct note of orange liqueur (Cointreau, Grand Marnier). Very smooth; no alcohol burn at all.
Edition 03/batch 28CDI617, distilled 2017. Typical green agave notes at the core, surrounded by melon, mineral, wax, vanilla, milk chocolate and butterscotch. Not much smoke. There is a lot of sugar cane sweetness, perhaps a tad too much. Round and balanced, a great dessert mezcal.
Lot RMS-02, distilled March 2016. Very flavourful, both sweet and spicy. Notes of tropical fruit stand out, on the nose as well as on the palate. There is also some spicy tobacco and citrus notes. Long finish. Delicious!
Lot MXN02/14, distilled 2014. A well-balanced mezcal with vegetal notes, citrus and smoke. Rather soft and sweet with more fruit than spice. There is also an earthy note underlying it all. A very easy, pleasant drink.
Batch 001-A. An inexpensive mezcal that delivers a lot of pleasure. Soft and buttery, it brings floral notes and a sweet finish. While it might not be the most complex tipple, it is a pleasant sipper and a good basis for drinks as well. A very positive surprise.
Batch MADP, distilled 2015. The clay-like bottle has unfortunately soaked up almost half of the liquid. Apparently, this is a general problem with the mezcals of Pescador de Sueños, so you better avoid these bottles and instead try Tio Pesca, the new series by the same mezcalero. Has this problem affected the juice? I don’t know. There is a clear, soft clay-like taste, but I assume that’s from the distillation. Earth, butterscotch, chocolate and a very grassy aftertaste. A good mezcal that leaves me with the question whether it would have been even better without the bottle mishap.
Lot MK001/14TEP, distilled 2014. I have had a bottle of this opened for a long while, hoping that it would mellow over time. But, alas, it hasn’t. It still has a very sharp, rough taste of burnt rubber and ash. There is some sweetness to counter that, but it’s not a pleasant drink overall. Leaves quite a pronounced burn in your throat.
Batch MKU097. A reliable choice for agave-based drinks as it’s well-priced and won’t dominate the overall taste. But, while it works for sipping as well, it doesn’t provide much excitement. Sweet, floral, piney and well-balanced, it’s also rather light and watery with just a hint of smoke. Innocuous. A good start for a mezcal beginner.
Lot 01SZ-17, distilled May 2017. Tropical fruits, cardamom and tobacco. Sugar and spice in perfect harmony. Rich and creamy. A very big and complex mezcal with a long aftertaste. Wonderful!
Lot BCEL-001, distilled April 2017. Liquorice, rubber tyres, cauliflower and red and dark berries (cherries, redcurrants, blackberries) in a multi-faceted mix. Beautifully sweet and rounded. There is a lot going on from first sniff to the long aftertaste. Excellent and very interesting!