Series 2: 76/213
This is the bottle doesn’t seem to have the same consistency of the rest of the Rezpiral bottles I’ve tried. The nose is great, with notes of melon and perhaps fig? The taste is buttery with an interesting mouthfeel, but then has an overwhelming rubber/chemical aftertaste. It is a shame because the nose smells so enticing.

Series 2 (Distilled in 2017) 4.5/5
This is a unique Mezcal that has a flavor profile all to its own and is one of the most interesting I’ve tried. If you see it definitely grab it, though it is hard to find and taste wise might not be for everyone. It is my understanding that an espadin capon means that the espadin was aged beyond the quijote flowering and the the quijote is chopped off? The end result being the pina is overripe when it is roasted, completely changing the flavor of the agave.

On the nose, this mezcal smells almost like a less astringent clairin or rhum agricole: sugary with a mild amount of funk to it. The way it hits your mouth is sticky, thick, and viscous. I get all sorts of odd sweet tastes including: caramelized butter, sweet pop corn, honey, cotton candy, and sugar cane. Bizarre and delightful, truly one of a kind. Without knowing beforehand, I wouldn’t have guessed this was made from espadin.

Series 2, Bottle 30/200
If you can get your hands on this, definitely try it. This one is on the lighter side. The nose has wet spring leaves at first. As it sits in the glass, it transforms into a sugary agave smell with a hint of lime, all while still having an herbaceous hint. Textually, it has a slightly oily mouthfeel. Taste wise, there is only a tiny hint of smoke – it is incredibly approachable. The main flavors in the first few sips are minty/vegetal. These eventually transition into something a bit sweeter, almost like the smell of sweet grass in the spring but with a slight minerality giving it body and balancing out the more ethereal flavors. It would best to have this Mezcal first or by itself in an evening – the more delicate flavors won’t come through well if you have had another Mezcal before it.

Lot: PAP-173
This is the first cupreata mezcal I’ve had, but it is absolutely delicious. The nose is a tad bit like sour fruits mixed with smoke. The first taste to come out is both leathery and minerally – you can really taste the clay distillation here. After, there is a lingering sweetness, sour cherry mixed with Earth perhaps? This is a savory mezcal and one of my favorite Del Maguey releases.

I’ve had two different bottles of this over the years, the first was from 2013 (don’t recall the batch number), 3 stars. This one was fruit, almost like oranges in smell. The taste was sharp, peppery, with a finish of caramel.

The second was December 2015 Lot:D5003-M Bottle 362/800, 4 stars. This bottle was quite different, much more viscous in texture and really coated the tongue. Also a fruity nose, but with the taste being more herbaceous and briny than other Mexicanos I’ve had. You can really taste the salinity here and has the classic Mexicano pepper taste.

(Batch XAO13-17, Bottle 260/610)
I found this bottle at an odd shop that didn’t seem to have any other mezcal, it was deeply discounted. That said, I wonder if they stored it improperly or this batch is off? It smells quite fruity and has a finish of spearmint, sugar, and perhaps vanilla. But with an incredibly smoky/chemical aftertaste that lingers, more so than any other mezcal I’ve tried in this price range. Still a tasty spirit despite that. While I’m not the biggest fan of Mexicano in general, this fell short of every other bottle I have tried of this agave. I would be curious to taste a different batch/bottle (if so, I will amend this review accordingly) – especially as I have enjoyed other Marca Negra releases in the past and thought a few to be truly excellent.