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Real Minero Barril

Sep 17, 2021

Balance way off. A stray note or two that kind of just runs away. Not sure what it was but something like an acidic, bitter, gaseous note that overwhelmed everything. I didnt’ get the lot#. I ate some grasshoppers with it, and then it tasted just like an olive- for a moment. I think I’ll appreciate espadins more from here on.

El Sarao Oaxaca Cuishe

Sep 17, 2021

First Cuishe. nose: Pineapple, grilled peppers, roasted meat, brine, roses, almost citrusy/minty and herbaceous with a decidedly olive note proliferating.
palate: very drying, gasoline, minerals, rubber in a new shoes kind of way, initially tingly, tangy, salty, non specific sour fruit. You expect smoke but it never comes, except maybe a tiny bit on the finish. Balance is excellent, complexity is low to moderate, clarity is low. It’s a well done mezcal that I’d prefer over Real Minero Barril even if prices were the same, which they aren’t (1:3)

Del Maguey Chichicapa

Jan 15, 2021

Delicate ball of smoke and fire. Nose: fresh rubber, solvents, pepper, champagne. Taste: Kerosene fuel and sugar. Briny, rock salt minerality is borderline offensive. Pungent. that briny coal tar taste you find in peated whiskies. Viscous, full-bodied mouth feel bursts into a fiery, tingly numbness. Dry. Honestly the agave is quite buried. The alcohol is not. The smoke and rubber dominate with the sweetness and pepper not far behind. Overdone with smoke. Coal tar finish. Unbalanced. $62USD/750mL. Lot: CHI-201

Vago Elote – Aquilino García López

Jan 15, 2021

This is an agave bomb. Swish it around and it’ll numb your entire mouth and gums. Delivers massively on peppery spice. It has a soft sweetness but when you take a big swallow it’s like stirring up the embers of a palenque pit inside your gut. Viscious and long on the finish. Not super complex, but more like a straightforward example of a well-crafted agave spirit.

Yuu Baal Espadin

Jan 15, 2021

For me this is a no brainer. Aromatic but packs a fiery punch. Decent amount of smoke but it does not obscure the nuance and balance. Some citrus, some banana, dried fruit. There’s a small tire fire in this bottle and I mean that in a good way. Easily procured and fairly priced.

Nucano Joven

Jan 5, 2018

My first impression was that this is a knock-your-socks-off good mezcal. Plenty of smoke and spice, and the initial kick is a glory. It’s almost like distilling nature’s fruit loops. There’s a delicious lingering spice and agave, though the juice’s complexity and distinctness seems somewhat diminished in the finish. Batch NJE02-17 bottle 561

Ilegal Joven

Jan 5, 2018

Floral, dry fruit, light on smoke, fairly complex and long on the finish. Doesn’t smack you like a 45%-50% abv juice does, but it’s a gem for the price.

Unión Uno

Jan 5, 2018

Buttery vanilla sweetness and floral notes with plenty of smoke. The finish trails off a little soon, and there’s a tendency towards burning alcohol, but not too often and not harsh. Easy sipper, quite good, but not knock-your-socks-off good. Perfect starter.

Delirio Joven

Jan 5, 2018

Tried at a tequila bar in Austin. It’s smoky enough and distinctly espadín, but lacks finish, spice, and complexity. 2.5 / 5

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