* Lot: 0320ER
* ABV: 52.2%I had this at Las Almas Rotas as part of a Mal Bien 3-pack flight. A fantastic nose of sweet agave, roasted corn and wet soil. I loved it so much that this was the bottle I bought after sampling the three different MB varieties.
Full flavor and unbelievably smooth – fruity and floral with just the right amount of clay. Gardenia, bell pepper and white pepper. So green and so smooth, an outright stunner.
The greenest Mezcal I’ve ever had and with the pure amount of quality you receive vs. the dollar spent makes this one an A+!
* Lot: 0527AS
* ABV: 48.3%I had this at Las Almas Rotas as part of a Mal Bien 3-pack flight. Very floral nose; smells like funeral (Lilly?) flowers. Interesting…
Vegetal, toasted sesame seeds and onion followed by some type of melon were the flavors I detected.
A creamy “sweet heat” bbq chip finish that I really enjoyed was the finale but I would buy the Verde or the (rested in glass) Arroqueno over this particular expression.
* Lot: 0919AC
* ABV: 50.21%I had this at Las Almas Rotas as part of a Mal Bien 3-pack flight. Sweet cheese funk and Greek yogurt on the nose but not overpowering.
Soft agave, vanilla and light smoke – this spirit really has depth! I believe the additional resting period has actually mellowed this out well, I’m not sure I would have enjoyed this as much straight off of the shelf. This was the wife’s absolute favorite of the night too where as I enjoyed the Verde much more but still found this expression to be a very solid drink.
* Mezcalero: Oscar Hernandez
* Lot: 01C 19-0208
* ABV: 45%Earthy almost dusty nose, I can honestly say I was not expecting the flavors that followed it from my first impressions.
A really a fantastic Karwinskii! Sweet apples and cinnamon and toasted agave, absolutely delicious. Vanillas and honey – I really cannot believe the quality and richness of flavors given its price point ($95 usd).
The finished taste lingers with a solid rich burn, I absolutely love it. This will be something I keep on hand from now on and highly recommend.
* Bottle: 63/133
* Batch: DRML-25
* Harvest: 2022
* ABV: 49.50% (Still Strength)I found this to be an excellent Karwinskii.
Nose had a medium blue cheese funk that is balanced perfectly with some earthy clay tones, they all really presented themselves well together.
Rich soil, blueberries and a brief hint of mint were all present and give an excellent overall taste. The (again very pleasant) flavors quickly fade though and left behind a long lasting sweet yet slightly too much alcohol burn…
This is an excellent overall juice IMO that I would happily partake in again at any given time even with its’ larger price point. Great; not earth shattering but great.
* Series 7 Salmiana, grown for 18-20 years
* Maestra: Berta Vasquez
* Community: San Baltazar Guelevila, Oaxaca
* Mill: Tahona, machete
* Oven: 6 days in conical earthen oven, black oak fired
* Ferment: 12 days in Cypress
* Distillation: Double distilled in copper alambique
* Only 100L produced in 01/22, bottles are not individually numbered
* ABV: 47.7%In a word, phenomenal.
Nose is delightful. Mild leathers, tacos pastor and thyme. Nothing foul – no ethanols or rubbers or anything offensive at all here, very inviting in fact. Very approachable.
Palate is even better – Rich and well balance earthiness, deep bell pepper flavors and lightly toasted macadamia. A tiny dash of cinnamon, possibly turning into a semi-sweet dark chocolate hint but it’s more complex than that, I’m just not able to describe it properly. Delicious.
High viscosity which I believe is why it lingers forever. You feel this deep in your chest in a warm, wonderful way for a long time. So smooth and never turns foul or odd during the completion, it continues to call me back for more.
I would happily enjoy this in perpetuity if money and availability were not prevailing factors. My humble opinion is to buy two bottles of this if you can find it, you will not be disappointed.
* No lot or batch number to be found.
* ABV: 50%Nose is a mix of charred white oak, vanilla, cinnamon and an odd minty hint. The flavors are straightforward and not too much different – burnt vegetal, oak, piloncillo, a little bit of citrus but then finishes more sour than it should be.
The higher ABV should make this spirt better than the original however I much prefer the original offering to this one.
One and done, can’t say I will be back or recommend.
* I have bought several bottles of this due to its low price and constant availability; never a lot or batch number to be found.
* ABV: 40%A stripped over-distilled spirit that is still better than it’s higher proof aged counterpart. Main notes are rubber racquetball and rubbing alcohol with slight light vanilla and all-spice flavor. Very oily. Mixes ok but not something I would repeatedly buy to mix with.
I think if this were only distilled 2x and left to rest in glass for 90+/- days (and kept out of aging barrels) that it would possibly be a nice drinkable Sotol. I think DD is missing an easy opportunity here to capitalize on this by making a “premium” version by doing less work but that is just my opinion.
* Lot: 002–22GS
* APV: 35%This has a sweet caramel and light alcohol vapor nose, not really like traditional Mezcal much at all. The low ABV is also obvious even before you taste it.
Sour oak overpowers most of the other vegetal undertones. White pepper, parsley, caramel and coffee mostly – it’s odd-ish but not terrible, almost too sweet being its biggest offense.
The finish is pleasant and lingers a bit longer than any other 400 offering but not like a standard high-quality Mezcal. Sips okay and works well enough for a mixer too but not outstanding in either category.
At $40 bottle (and available only in MX as far as I know) I recommend buying one just to try it but that’s about it.
* Lot: 001–1QBA
* ABV: 40%One of the better 400 offerings. The nose is slightly sour cooked agave with a nice mid-amount of smoke. Still a heavy presence of alcohol here despite its low ABV but definitely much nicer than the blue, purple and green label 400 offerings.
The front is sweet and spicy, a decent hint of Cuishe comes through. Red pepper, smoke again and then burnt corn finish it out. This is too light overall though and unfortunately the Cuishe does not linger whatsoever, the flavors dissipate far too quickly.
Makes an excellent Mezcal Mule or Margarita and at $35/bottle (in MX) it’s a good low-priced option or introduction Mezcal.
* Lot: 004-20BA
* ABV: 40%A nice enough mixer but not a sipper. Nose is unpleasant; the alcohol vapors are too heavy and the Tobala and citrus/fruit favors are pretty much nonexistent. It tries but falls short fast.
Better than the Joven and the Reposado offerings but the Cuishe (red label) and the Anejo are both better than this expression. Good for making a mass amount of novelty “Mezcal margs” for a larger group of friends without breaking the bank but that’s about it.
* Lot: 003-20MA
* ABV: 40%After several bottles of the regular (blue label) Joven I found this and to be honest I had higher hopes for it than it delivered…
Barely smokey, low ABV and a mild mostly tequila-isque taste that fleeted instantly which overall left me underwhelmed. Bland and slight carmel-ly, nothing memorable here.
Better than the Joven in a marg but that’s about it. I recommend skipping this offering altogether and buying the Cuishe (red label) or if you have to have something aged (and you are in MX) then pick up a bottle of the Anejo.
After drinking tequila for decades I finally decided to try to get more into Mezcals and this was the first spirit I found during a dive trip to MX.
Synthetic smoke and light rubbing alcohol undertones, odd but not horrible in a beginners Mezcal margarita. Not very strong and not very flavorful outside of just plain smoke but it was good enough (and cheap enough) to make me go “hmmm” and start investigating Mezcal further and for that I’m grateful.
This is the juice that made me aware Mezcal was even a thing, I shot tons and tons of this stuff starting around 1994/95. Many fond memories of getting absolutely hammered with good friends and having great times but it tastes nothing like the quality Mezcals we all enjoy today.
Burnt oak and hydrogen peroxide are the main “notes” and the only effect from eating the worm I remember was a mild case of Bali belly. Overall a 1 star drink but an additional 1/2 star is awarded because of nostalgia. No way I would buy a bottle of it today but this old friend will definitely never be forgotten.
