Tasty batch. Even though this was distilled in clay, I get these copper metallic notes in a good way. It reminds me of some of the “yellow” (rusty) mezcals from Jose Alberto oddly enough. This Tobala has some funk musty notes.

Quite different than nearly every Espadin you’ll try. Even in the clay category, there isn’t that wet earth note. The initial taste is very soft but the finish brightens up with a vanilla bean citrus peel alcohol kick. “Herbal bubblegum” was an excellent note from RyeAmLegend which also relates to the “root beer” candy flavor note. Overall a bold and interesting Espadin mezcal; this producer’s mezcal is a must try. Edition 1.

Rich, round, brown sugar, a touch a cigar smoke. Kind of fun but not really representative of agave. Blind sipping some might think it’s a rum. Glad to have tried it – not sure of the price.

Jabalí became really popular in 2017 but it seems to have cooled off a bit in recent years. I think it is because it is difficult to create a great mezcal from this unruly plant – the yield is also quite small. This is a good one, maybe one of the great ones. The nose is like sweet pho broth. On the palate, the fresh clay and burnt soap notes go well together. There is a baking spice zest here that is a bit tannic at first but softens out after sitting in the glass. I really like this brand and producer, the first bottle I purchased was the Jabali.

Delicate Karwinkii forward mezcal with a soap-funk Jabali finish. Vanilla rock candy. Orange peel. Tasty and authentic.

Really enjoyed the Tobala from this mezcalero (Luis Pacheco). Unfortunately this Mexicano is not doing it for me. There are a lot of charred sour notes. Like charred wood and some of the gusano notes you get from cheap gusano mezcal. Sour peach candy. Burnt ends but only the black crust. I think people into “smoke bomb” mezcals might like it. Batch from 07/2019, bottle 116/114.

I rated another Maguey Mexicano mezcal recently which was also not great, however that was off putting whereas this is just unenjoyable. What is the difference?! Anyway, reviews are hard sometimes.

Sour. A bit of menthol. Gets more bitter as it opens up. Coats the mouth with a bit of firewater. I’m not quite as against this as my fellow mezcalerbros but it is definitely a disappointment. The rating is a bit strong but relative to the normal expected quality from Mezcal Vago. I remember one of the early Espadin releases from Joel Barriga being absolutely amazing. Would not be thrilled to have a full bottle of this laying around. Lot J-10-ME-22.

This is nice sweet approachable Espadin from San Dionisio Ocotepec at 47% ABV. Definitely a lot of candy notes as Zack describes. Some vanilla bean. Smoke on the finish for me. Given all the mediocre Espadin mezcals on the market these days – this one is definitely worth checking out.

Clean agave-forward mezcal from Chente. Classic sugar smooth with some dry vanilla notes. A bit hot but enjoyable. Lot DS001-A2, October 2022.

Honestly quite good. It is expensive compared to Sotol Por Siempre which is 45% ABV, affordable, and very good (last time I had it). Nocheluna is kind of alcohol-forward for 43% ABV. It has a ton of classic Sotol notes of grass, pepper, dried orange peel, and thyme. It is more accessible than the Clande Don Lalo release I’ve tried but that is made more traditionally. I think this was the first batch released in the US. SNL-001/22.

Awesome Mexicano. These days it seems harder to find good Mexicano mezcals with those chocolate notes. Subtle cinnamon. Batch JAME0422. Jan 2021. Bottle 86/133.

Enjoying this more than the maestra’s Cuishe release. Weird nose, a bit like rotting fruit. Similar sour smoke notes but some of the sweetness saves it for me. Slight sour apple juice on the finish. I rarely find a Tobala I like and this is just ok.

Dirty, watery, “wormy”. Getting the vibe of weird cheap Oaxaca mezcal fermented near a gas station. Zack nails it with musty. Some folks might dig this but it reminds me too much of ‘con gusano’ mezcals I’ve tried.. something about the flavor profile is similar.

For extra context (not that you asked).. I ordered the 5 mini-bottle tasting set in February 2022 and am finally sipping through these. Only now am I realizing they used 100ml bottles and fill them halfway! The label says 50ml to be fair but I wonder if all that air influenced the tiny pour. Really hoping all the samples aren’t “skunked” so to speak. I hope the other ones are better. Also the QR code on this mini-bottle didn’t work but I’m assuming it is the same release.

Smokey. Super light. Tart sour. Some lime candy. The karwinskii makes it dry which is normal but the ABV is too low to give it a rounded sweet complexity. Seems like a mixer but the bottle design is like an expensive perfume bottle. $13/pour at a fancy beer garden in Mountain View, CA. Overall just not interesting.

Sometimes the pulque-fermented mezcals can be pulque-forward – not so here. There is a nice balance of flavors which makes this mezcal delicious. Can’t help but agree with the Pink Lemonade note from Zack! There are some minty botanical notes with a bit of a pungent dry finish. Club Mini release, MIG-INA-001, 48.8%. Would be fun to try the other batch which has different feedback (batch 2).

This is a unique well executed agave spirit. It has some of those sour-leaning wood notes which I sometimes don’t like but there is only a touch which provides a nice balance. The “sour wood” is balanced with some rock candy alcohol and lemon oil. As others have noted, there is a bit of creaminess to this as well. Didn’t even notice the ABV until checking the batch info, wow. Definitely not something that overpowers the palate. Batch 202207.

Wet cement aroma. Hot Tómales candy. Wet stone. A bit hot despite the sub 50% ABV. Second or third time trying this one.. I think I prefer the puntas. Sipped at Bar Lula in NYC. Lote MS-001T. 48.65%

As a Club Mini subscriber, I ended up with Ensamble 2. It is a bit sour. Definitely getting some of those Jalisco flavors. These types of releases are what make MM so great even if every single mezcal they send is out mind-blowing. In the newsletter it said one of the four batches was “frowned up” post-purchase. Curious to know which one that was. Will revisit this and update if necessary. Right now it is just bit of a dank raicilla for me which I’m sure others will enjoy more than myself.

Given this market these days, this is what you call a good Espadin. It gets the job done. Nothing overly smoky or seemingly artificial about it. A bit one-note but I only had a small sample. Some lemon curd and marshmallow. Would try again. 45% ABV. Lot E04.

Aromas of cotton candy and sweet corn. Some interesting flavors of adobe-cooked veggies with a green chili sauce. There is also a Fruit Roll-Ups “grainy fruit” thing going on. Everything from José Alberto has been super interesting. Batch JAEC1122.