Boozy and floral on the nose. Notes of vanilla, menthol, peach, and slight pine. Sharp finish that doesn’t linger. Tasty juice and good value. December 2014 Lot 11.

Fruit and floral on the nose. Very bright flavors here. There are notes of vanilla, lemon, leather, and maple syrup. Tasty cupreata from the same mezcalero as Don Mateo; his father is a mezcalero as well who produces mezcal for the Siembra Metl Don Mateo releases.

Slight fruit on the nose. There are nice notes of pepper, banana, jalapeño, and peat. Very well-rounded cupreata and a great value. 2015 Lot 12.

Leather, copper, and chocolate on the nose. Slightly metallic, spice, peat, and ashy notes on the palate. The copper taste is prominent. There is a warm finish to this mezcal. 2013 batch ESP/MAT – 01/13 from Don Celso Martinez in Santiago Matalán.

Only tried this once and don’t have great notes other than it was tasty and quite strong. I prefer their Doba-Yej over this Espadin for what it’s worth; they are at the same price point. I’ve tried about four of the Siete Misterios offerings and enjoyed them all – hopefully this brand will come to Texas soon!

Leather and butterscotch on the nose. This coyote is vegetal like a tobalá but with a kick. There are notes of burnt wood, ash, leather, jalapeño, and vanilla spice. Didn’t catch the batch number but have had this twice in two different bars and got the same impression. You don’t see much coyote mezcal, so try it while you can.

Quite an interesting ensamble! There is a great balance here despite what might seem like conflicting flavors from the different agaves. The Tobala kicks off this journey to flavortown. The Tepextate is subtle whereas the Sierra Negra produces a strong finish. Entirely unique and in short supply. Give this a try if you see it.

Apple on the nose. Flavors of apple, wood, and spice throughout. I was only able to try a small amount of this limited-release and enjoyed it. There are technically three different batches of this small release; from my understanding the agave harvest was divided up and sent to three different nearby distilleries but all released as Mezcalero #9. The one I tried was made by Mezcalero Don Felix Garcia Jimenez.

Pine, earth, and leather on the nose. Incredible confluence of karwinskii and Mexicano flavors that produce notes of leather, wood, and ash with floral overtones. Don Valente Angel’s signature minerality is present here. This mezcal finishes hot.

Copper and orange citrus on the nose. Velvety on the palate. This interesting Bruxo has notes of vanilla, caramel, and jalapeño. It finishes very smoothly. I’m a huge fan of all the Bruxo mezcals as they taste very clean with well-defined flavors. I was expecting some wild new flavors from this unique “pechuga” and while those weren’t apparent to me this is nonetheless a delicious mezcal.

The first time I tried this mezcal there was vegetal, pear, alcohol on the nose with flavors of cinnamon, fruit, fresh agave, and mint. That batch was strong for my taste. Then I tried Lot 10 from 2010 and was really impressed. It was incredibly smooth with vegetal and earthy aromas and flavors. It has a hint of sweet butter and a fruity finish. That batch was incredible. I think this mezcal benefitted from time in the bottle.

Very meaty on the nose. Vicious on the palate. Notes of chocolate, peat, citrus, and honey are present in this delicious pechuga. Hot finish. Lot 006

The story of Mezcal Tosba is inspiring and their hard work has paid off. This is my favorite of their current mezcals released in the US.

Fruit and light chicken broth on the nose. This pechuga is bursting with flavors from clove and pepper to berries, clay, and bubblegum. Incredible mezcal. Pricey but one-of-a-kind mezcal that is released infrequently in small batches. Batch: 2014 RMP-01

Soft roasted agave flavors with citrus, vanilla, and wood. Slight acetone finish. This lightly-aged espadin is a decent sipper, especially for those new to mezcal. One downside is that the quality of this mezcal is not worth the price of $50-$70 a bottle as charged in many stores.

Decent sipper for an inexpensive mezcal marketed and sold as a cocktail mixer. Very clean on the palate, this espadin has some soft smoke and floral aromas on the nose. As an espadin, it is right down the middle. It’s not incredibly complex, yet has consistent flavors of smoke and agave without tasting watered down.

This añejo espadin has strong flavors of butterscotch and honey. There are notes of apple and lemon. At 40% ABV it still packs a decent punch.

Enjoyable mezcal and very well-priced. My top recommended mezcal for those new to the spirit. It’s used in cocktails but decent to sip which makes it versatile. There are notes of vanilla, pine, and citrus. Certain batches have contained barril agave but the ones I’ve tasted are just espadin and cirial at an 90/10 blend. Very smooth and retains nice flavors at 40% ABV. Lot MKU059.

For the price and consistent quality it’s a four star mezcal.

Floral orange-blossom notes on the nose. Velvet mouthfeel. Don Valente’s signature minerality is present on the palate with refined flavors of berry, mint, caramel, pepper, and oak. One of my favorite mezcals from one of my favorite mezcaleros. A must-try mezcal, especially for madre cuishe fans.

Floral on the nose, this cuishe has strong notes of lemon, tea, honey, and fig. The finish has a slight perfumed aftertaste. Probably the best mezcal from Gracias a Dios with a slight edge over their tepextate. Lot GAD-C-0380

Vegetal and earthy on the nose. This 80/20 blend is bursting with delicious Arroqueno flavor. There are notes of dried tobacco, grape, black pepper, and citrus. This mezcal is like a very complex espadin, approachable and supremely enjoyable. Lot SMS001L/14 from Tio Leonardo.