Lot 02P 18-206 This is the Pechuga de Brisket made for Las Almas Rotas Mezcaleria in Dallas by the Gracias a Dios family. This is made with partially smoked Texas brisket as well as fresh Oaxaca fruits and flowers in the third distillation, using their Espadin as a base. This is rich, sweet, and savory. A lot of smoke. Flavors of beef brisket, bbq sauce, papaya, banana, and marigolds. Really interesting and well worth trying if you’re in the area.

Didn’t get the lot number. Inoffensive but bland. I got some roasted agave and a little alcohol burn. I kept trying to detect something else but it just wasn’t there.

Lot 1818. Smelled more like a tequila but tasted fresh and minty with a light body and some caramel, pineapple, and river rocks. Short finish, not at all complex, and some alcohol burn despite the low abv.

YJ08-16. I had a different batch of this last year and it was a nice typical Tepextate. This batch tastes nothing like that one and I was initially very disappointed. I tried it again with no expectations and I found it tasted a lot more like a Salmiana agave. It has some funk like blue cheese and olives, some syrupy sweetness like maple syrup, and a minty finish. There is a hint of fresh bell pepper, almost like some Tepextate was blended in with the Salmiana. It’s not great, and definitely not worth the price, but it’s interesting.

Lot YJ07-16. This one seemed very tropical to me. Like freshy turned earth in a tropical greenhouse. Flowers and wet green plants with earthy spices of clove, cinnamon, and allspice. A delicious strawberry jam finish. I did a side by side with the Mezcalero 16 Madrecuixe and even though I prefer the Mezcalero 16, this one is very good.

I first tried this one at the end of the night after I had had several other Mezcals so I assumed that my palate was just blown out. I tried it again as the first drink of the night but my impression is the same. To me this is the opposite of smooth. I get a lot of alcohol burn both at the beginning and the end. The finish is much Boozier then I would expect from this ABV. In fact all that I get on the finish is alcohol. The taste is very black pepper forward with some vegetal notes of artichoke and bison grass and something very mineral like graphite and cigarette ashes. It’s interesting enough but the harshness really turns me off. After reading the other reviews, if I hadn’t got it from such a reputable liquor store I would assume that someone had poured something else in the bottle. I look forward to letting my friends try it to get some different opinions.

This one kept changing throughout the two glasses I had. At first I got some bitter vegetal flavor, like a hoppy IPA, then it got fruity with sweet cantaloupe melon, peach and pear. Then some fresh sage and anise. By the end of the second glass it reminded me of an orange creamsicle. Really interesting, mysterious, and delicious Mezcal.

Lot YJ05-17. I found this pretty unpleasant. Rubbing alcohol. White sugar, bitter gourd, lemon pith, sunflower seeds. Sour, bitter, and chemical.

Didn’t get the lot number. Very smoky with some caramel and clove. A long smoky finish. A bit one dimensional. Probably a decent mixer.

Lot 32. I almost didn’t try this one because I didn’t really like the other offerings that I tried from this producer, but the bartender insisted it was her favorite so I gave it a shot. I was very pleasantly surprised! Reading the other review on here I wonder if this was just a lucky batch? It was soft and creamy with some menthol, thyme, wet earth, tobacco leaf, it had a long complex finish that kind of reminded me of the sea breeze. I really liked this one!

MKU078. Light and fresh. Pine forest, rose water, white pepper, with a sweet vanilla milkshake finish. A bit thin and watery.

Lot MR-043 Very vegetal, like boiled asparagus. Some caramel, and a nice spicy cayenne pepper finish. A bit of rubbing alcohol on the nose but a very soft pleasant mouthfeel. It was very cheap, I thought it was worth the price.

TB03-18. The last Mezcal we tasted at the end of a long incredible tasting, and what a finale! It reminded us both of Thanksgiving dinner, so savory! Roasted agave, buttered yams, gravy, vanilla, cinnamon, and green olives. This one is special.

Lot DS005-T. It’s been a couple of years since I last had this Mezcal. I revisited it last night and I loved it. Not super complex, just textbook Tepextate. All the flavors that I love most from this agave. Bright and fresh and clean, with fresh jalapeño, lemon curd, and plumeria flower. Puts a smile on my face.

Lot DS01S-E. May 2017. 53.9%. Ramiro Sánchez Altamirano. This was a special batch of Espadin made by the normal Mezcaleros father or grandfather, I forget the exact story. They have a bottle at Cultura Mezcaleria in Carmel California. This is something special. Rich, creamy, and smooth. Not at all hot, despite the high abv. Chocolate, cedar, sandalwood, and hazelnut. This is one of the best Espadins I’ve ever had.

I forgot to write down the lot number for this one but it was absolutely brilliant!!! Very savory and complex, like an herbal liqueur. Caramel, clove, cinnamon, coconut, vanilla, allspice, flan, kalua, baileys, benedictine. So creamy!

Lot 09. Excellent Tobaziche!!! Very complex! Thyme, sage, cilantro, coconut milk and clove. Very creamy.

Lot 13. Wow! Creamy and delicious!! Like stepping into a cool adobe house in the desert. Very earthy with notes of marzipan and ginger. I can’t wait to try all of these!

Edition 15 from Don Goyo!! Gregorio Martínez Garcia. Tried this at the excellent Cultura restaurant and Mezcaleria in Carmel California. Complex mix of sweet, vegetal, and earthy. Banana, bubblegum, leather, tobacco, and fresh serrano pepper. I’ve heard he no longer works for EJ so you’ll probably have to stop by his palenque in San Baltazar Guelavila to get some. Pick up some of his Tepextate while you’re at it.

Lot 11. Ignacio Parada. Initial vegetal smell like raw broccoli. Creamy. Dusty leather, pear, honeydew melon, tarragon and mint. Very nice.