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I like to drink mezcal. Mainly in Brooklyn, San Diego, or Oaxaca.
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Real Minero Largo

Mar 4, 2021

Smells like spa-water – maybe a strawberry cucumber infusion? No heat at all, in fact, almost cooling to the tongue, like mint, cilantro, green herbs. Vegetal and smooth. I think you could use this as a breath freshener.

Lot RML-17 (2020), bottle 109/246. Purchased at the Real Minero palenque in 2021.

Real Minero Cuishe

Mar 4, 2021

Warm but not too hot. A bit of viscosity, with a nice smooth tongue feel. Buttery and bright, like carmelized bananas and the taste of sun-baked clay comes through too. Delicious dessert mezcal.

Lot DRMC-06 (2019) Bottle 110/158. Purchased at the Real Minero palenque.

Mezcalosfera Bicuixe – Don Job

Mar 4, 2021

Soft, smooth, sweet, slightly vegetal and creamy. A bit herbaceous like minted cream. A karwinskii party in your mouth.

Tried at Mezcaloteca in Oaxaca City.

Vago Ensamble en Barro

Mar 4, 2021

Seems we’re almost all reviewing different mezcals here under the heading of an “ensamble en barro”. In my case, it was a 64% coyote, 24% espadin, 12% mexicano by Tio Rey.

Super hot on the tongue, tastes of acetone, corn (a theme?), and river water. I want to enjoy the work from this legendary mezcal brand, but this is my third miss in a row, unfortunately.

07/2019 distillation. Tried at Mezcalogia in Oaxaca City.

El Jolgorio Barril

Mar 4, 2021

Viscous and oily, a little gamey – you could convince me that this was a pechuga. Notes of wood, sandstone, leather. Unique, interesting, but not exactly my cup of tea.

Edicion 07-2017. Bottle 1222/1400. 47% abv.

Tried at Mezcalogia in Oaxaca City.

El Jolgorio Mexicano

Mar 4, 2021

Pillowy soft mouthfeel, slate on the tongue, pleasant but not particularly complex considering the heights that El Jolgorio can reach. For an easy sipper I would rather go for the Neta Espadin that I can buy for about $30 less than this in the US.

Edition 15-2016. Bottle 198/1050. Tried at Mezcalogia bar in Oaxaca City.

El Jolgorio Tobaziche

Mar 4, 2021

Incredible nose – floral fruit bouquet. Then, a surprisingly musty and dusty flavor on the tongue, and hotter than you’d think. It is similar to their black bottle karwinskii (“Cenizo”), but I think I prefer that one. I might have rated it higher if not for the knowledge that these bottles cost $200+ in the US, and I just don’t think that price premium is worthwhile compared to El Jolgorio’s perfectly delicious normal range.

Edition 07-2016. Bottle 489/750. Tried at Mezcalogia in Oaxaca City.

Espíritu Lauro Joven

Mar 4, 2021

Creamy, smooth river rocks, sugar and citrus, soft and supple in the mouth. No aftertaste. Easy beach sipper, but not too exciting. I have a feeling the San Marteño maguey is the star here, but at only 30% of the blend I’d have liked to try it higher in the mix.

Lalocura San Martinero

Mar 4, 2021

Very salty, and I admit being influenced by other reviewers but I do have to co-sign the soy sauce comparison. There is a borderline seafood brine to this, but it’s so incredibly smooth and unique it’s hard to believe this is a 48% abv spirit.

Perhaps not my “desert island” companion, but I can’t help but commend a singular bottle that would stand out in a tasting among dozens.

Purchased a bottle from the palenque, distilled December 2020, no lot number.

Real Minero Arroqueño

Mar 4, 2021

By now I’ve learned that Arroqueños tend toward the “darker” side for mezcals. Not necessarily my cup of tea, but this one is exemplary. Pretty hot on the tongue, but after a bit of priming, flavors of leather, butter, root beer, and an overall salty/umami profile are quite rewarding.

Tasted at the Real Minero palenque in March 2021. Not sure of batch/lot details.

Lalocura Tobasiche

Mar 4, 2021

This has a very savory smell to it – salted corn on the nose, which made me think it might be close to the its well known Karwinskii sibling, the San Martinero mezcal, but it was in fact quite different. It’s a rich flavor journey like a well-constructed salad: mint, sharp pea greens, corn, and a bit of saltiness. A nearly perfect mezcal yet again from Lalocura.

There were two Lalocura Tobasiches available at the palenque when I visited — so not 100% sure this is the same as the listing, but I purchased a bottle of the Tobasiche Marteño – no lot number, but it was distilled January 2021, at 47% ABV instead of the 49% listed here.

Vago Mexicano – Aquilino

Jan 29, 2021

Definitely reminds me a bit of the Vago Elote, previously the only other variant I’d tried — a bit of sweet corn that actually reminds me of white whiskey on the nose. It’s pretty hot on the tongue, with a cinnamon-like heat and a somewhat metallic taste. No real aftertaste to speak to, but given that this was a bit hotter and boozier than I’d have liked, that’s OK with me. Can’t say this was a pleasant sipper for me — bit of a bummer since I paid $99 bucks for it.

Seems I was not as fortunate as those who tried the 10% Espadin/90% Mexicano blend. This one was 100% Mexicano as far as I can tell, a March 2020 batch Lot A2-02-M-20.

Mezcalosfera Madrecuixe/ Bicuixe/ Espadin – Emanuel Ramos

Dec 27, 2020

Sweet honey on the nose, nice mineralized water, very little heat on the tongue, easy drinker, smooth. My first from the Mezcalosfera brand and I’m eager to try more.
Paid $100 (Potomac Wines, Washington, DC)

El Jolgorio Cenizo (A. Karwinskii)

Dec 27, 2020

Very delightful. Grassy, with absolutely no alcohol heat on the tongue — in fact, it’s rather cool, almost mint-like, with an oily, slightly viscous umami flavor, which it has in common with the El Jolgorio Tobalá (which was a 5 star bottle in my book). The aftertaste is really special: clean, earthy, creamy — really elevates this to that highest echelon of mezcal.

This was gifted to me, but found it for sale at $190 US in NYC (Verve Wines, Tribeca).

400 Conejos Joven

Dec 7, 2020

A friend left this after a dinner party, so I was curious to sip straight a mezcal that I was 90% sure was going to be a mixer, if anything. Taste is hot, flat, and smooth, with really no flavor profile to speak of except for the slight agave sweetness that reminds me more of tequila than any of the finer mezcals.

Two stars is probably the lowest I’ve rated any mezcal, as I’ve never encountered anything truly vile, but I can’t recommend 400 conejos when there are bottles by Del Maguey and Derrumbes and Mal Bien at similar price points with much more to offer.

Palenqueros Mexicano

Nov 24, 2020

Nose is sweet like honey and vanilla – in fact, immediately reminded me of Mezcalero No 22 which is a different agave but the same mezcalero, I believe.
Now, the taste is where things get really crazy – there is some sort of soap or shampoo flavor going on (others said “fabric softener”) with a mix of warm cooking spices. A bit of a warm and sweet aftertaste on the tongue, nothing too noticeable. One of the strangest mezcals I’ve tasted.
Batch VGMX01. Paid $75 in Washington, DC.

Palenqueros Tobaziche – Tobala

Nov 22, 2020

I’m gonna keep picking off new bottles from the Palenqueros series, because they’re priced well and never disappoint. Tobala-tobasiche is one of my favorite combinations of agave, with the characteristic rich vegetal and mineral flavors, and just a light essence of charcoal that doesn’t diminish the honeyed sweetness. I found this on sale for $79, and if I could find it again I might keep a few on hand.

5 Sentidos Sierra Negra

Nov 22, 2020

At some point while dining at El Destilado in Oaxaca, I tried a bunch of the 5 Sentidos mezcals. And… probably I was too drunk to remember, although I do recall that the food was mind blowing.

Anyway, I was keen to try a Sierra Negra, and saw that this was one of the best reviewed mezcals on the site bar none. Unfortunately, maybe this was a middling batch (SN-06) but I was disappointed.

The musty, “barnyard funk” that others mentioned is there on the nose, unfortunately the body was totally surprising. I swear it almost tastes like a neutral grain spirit, or perhaps an unaged (“white”) corn whiskey. I swear I could be misled about what spirit this even is in a blind tasting.

Can’t mark it lower than 3 stars as it’s certainly unique, but I might have trouble finishing this bottle.

Rezpiral Tobasiche – Simeon & Apolonio

Nov 21, 2020

Really wanted a 100% tobasiche – my only experience thus far being at the Lalocura palenque – and saw this attractive little bottles at Astor Spirits in NYC ($99).

Nose was that familiar and predictable deep herbal grassiness with a bit of carmelized sugar. First sip came off a bit flat with pungent grass followed by acetone — only, I then remembered what Lalo had taught us about drinking mezcal properly, and on the second taste with my palette fully coated, I could appreciate a smooth body with notes of coconut cream, lemongrass, and citrus. Didn’t have any surprise aftertaste (something I love in my absolute favorites, like Neta’s espadin) but a clean finish, and something I could easily drink myself into oblivion with without hardly noticing. 😉

NETA Espadin – Candido García Cruz

Nov 14, 2020

Woah! Super unique. My first try from Neta, and I was a tad nervous dropping $96 on the least exotic of agaves, but this became one of my favorites.

Super clean and bright, with a powder sugary, light sweetness that reminds me a bit of Mezcalero No. 22. Some birthday cake sprinkles, vanilla frosting, and a clean wet stone finish that lingers for a surprisingly long time given the overall airiness of the body. Love this one!

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