lot E-18-MC-17 by emigidio, 50.9% abv. deep minerality with vegetal and very lightly floral undertones on the nose. as with all the vago i’ve had the pleasure of sampling thus far, roasty toasty notes are present in the form of kettle corn, both on the nose and palate. palate is very, very rich both in texture and flavor. a lovely, prickly bite at the end right before the lingering finish. beautiful stuff. my first sip of this immediately brought mezcalero #16 to mind, to the point where i had to pour some to try next to this. the mezcalero is more finessed and boasts a fruity acidity that turns everything up to 11. that said, this is one of the best madrecuixes i’ve tasted.

my first sierra negra. caramel popcorn on the nose. very complex and fragrant on the palate, a melange of vegetal and earthy notes. like jonny said, the flavors here blend into each other seamlessly. would’ve liked to have taken more time with this one but tried this at a bar as they were closing.

very good, pretty straightforward with the mango and habanero supplementing the espadin very nicely. the tingly afterburn from the habanero is an interesting note and draws out the finish in a really nice way. can’t help but feel this one’s overpriced though.

absolute fruit bomb and very bright. utterly drinkable to boot. a pleasure to sip on, though for all of its complexity and overabundance of flavor, it sort of just drops off on the finish. wish i could get a bottle of this.

4.5, if only because i sampled this against the mezcalero #16 which outperformed this one in every way except the fruit-forwardness, which this is bursting with. all the mezcalosferas i’ve tried so far have the same short, astringent finish that leaves something to be desired.

one of my favorite mezcales. beautifully finessed. musty n dusty, ripe fruit, vibrant acidity, clean agave, rich minerality, and a pinch of salt, all in perfect harmony. ambrosial.

best example of clay influence i’ve encountered. deep green and perfectly rounded. glorious finish.