Fruity on the nose, this mezcal from Durango is different than what you’ll taste from Oaxaca. It’s a very light mezcal on the palate with notes of honey, butter, fruit, rosewater, and citrus.

Wow, very surprised by this Nuestra Soledad edition. It is very floral and vegetal on the nose, almost like a tobala. The mouthfeel is syrupy like a pechuga which I found unique for this type of mezcal. This mezcal has a faint clay taste with vanilla, jalapeno, and wood. The finish is a bit hot but quickly softens to a sweet lingering taste. By far my favorite Nuestra Soledad out of the four I’ve tasted. This was Lot PV-E001 Edition 1 from 2014.

Like Mezcalero no. 10 this Sierra Negra agave release has spice. It’s ashy on the nose and velvety on the tongue. I really enjoy the sweet minerality that turns into burnt spice in this Sierra Negra. The finish is lingering citrus smoke. Delicious stuff.

Mezcal made from Sierra Negra agave is a rare thing and worth seeking out because it is so unique. This Mezcalero edition has a velvety mouthfeel. The taste is peppery, firewood, and a bit of peat – lots of spice like a tepextate but lacking the vegetal notes of the tepextate (in my experience). The finish is a bit hot for a 46% ABV.

Have yet to try the entire Nuestra Solidad lineup, but excited to try the rest because the Santa Maria Zoquitlan is delicious. This is a very high-quality (and well-priced) cultivated Espadin mezcal from the El Jolgorio family palenque. Very smooth for 45.7% ABV. Its got some smoky floral notes on the nose. The taste has some nice minerality and a bit of caramel. It finishes a bit on the sharp but quickly smoothes out and the sweetness lingers. The bottle I’m enjoying is a 2014 Edition 01 Lot IPE003-4.

Fun release from Mezcalero, this ensamble brings together two wild agaves with very different flavor profiles. Not sure of the exact ratio of each but it tastes more tepextate heavy. The nose is soft, floral, tobala heavy. On the palate there is a spicy kick with slight vegetal undertones. Definitely enjoyed this but think the flavors compete against each other a bit. I tasted a Del Maguey San Pedro Taviche mezcal that was a similar ensamble that had a better expression of tobala. Either way, it is still delicious.

Wow, this is an incredibly unique mezcal. My first time trying this type of agave and from the state of San Luis Potosi. There is almost a subtle cheese aroma on the nose. The taste made me think of grilled sweet peppers. This is very funky stuff. Don’t miss out if you see it at a bar or liquor store.

Really enjoyed a small taster of this interesting ensamble. There are notes of burnt wood, cinnamon.. a bit spicy with a hot vanilla finish. Need to try more of this unique offering from Michoacan. Lot 1 from 2015.

Tasty espadin with a hint of tobala. Hints of butterscotch and citrus. Had a small taster of this one and wanted more. Priced well considering the nice flavors. Overall wish the tobala would stand out more considering it is 30% of the mix.

Soft pine on the nose. Bright. Vegetal mint. A unique and rare spirit. Grape skin, warmth. Batch 001, 168 bottles.

Enjoyed this at Half Step in Austin and did not catch the batch number. Mineral on the nose. Soft floral and vanilla on the palate. Fairly smooth overall. Good flavor for a madre cuishe but not as well-rounded as others. I’d definitely mark this as 3.5 stars. Give it as taste.

Accurate description written above though has a bite as opposed to “dancing” flavors. Dry and almost perfume notes on the nose. Very floral throughout but not as prounced as other tobalas. Hot aftertaste smooths out without much of a lingering taste. Not my go-to tobalá considering the price.

Strong vegetal ash notes on the nose. Very hot taste like most Vago mezcals, fruity pepper. Lots of flavor. Almost some jalapeño notes. Hot finish. This was an April 2016 edition from Mezcalero Emigdio. 4 stars.

Updating this to 4.5 stars after trying the April 2016 batch (229 liters) again in April 2021. The bottle has likely sat half empty for a while and the flavors are incredible. The “hot” notes mentioned in the previous review have been softened. This is an incredible mezcal.

Sharp nose. Light on the tongue. Sweet fruit. Slight caramel and ash. Balanced sweetness and acetone finish. Very tasty and flavorful tobala. This review is based on a 2013 edition 8.

Floral and vegetal on the nose. Sweet, clay, citrus taste. Incredibly light mezcal at 46% ABV. Bruxo offers a very special tobalá that really brings out the best flavors of this rare plant. After trying a few tobalás this is a real standout. My current bottle from Candido Reyes (Lot 10466M) has impressed me less than the first one I tried. There is a bit of a chemical cream aftertaste.

Gracias a Dios makes an okay tobalá. It’s perfumed on the nose. Velvet mouth feel. Mineral, fruity, and ash with a slightly metallic yet smooth finish. This is one of the cheapest tobalas you will find in the States. Unfortunately, a really good tobala will cost at least $100 so if you’re looking to save money this is a decent option. My bottles does not appear to have a batch number.

Slightly floral on the nose, citrus and chocolate on the palate. Though it is agave angustifolia it doesn’t jump out with flavors of agave espadin. Goes down very smooth for being 47% ABV. Definitely worth a taste if you see it. 3 stars.

2023 update. Tasted a half full bottle (date 06/16) and it’s incredible. Curious which type of Angustifolia this is. Super fruity like red Starburst, no bite, slight lactic and lemonade finish. Would be fun to find one of these retail.

The Minero is one of the classic Del Maguey mezcals. It’s very tasty and reminds me a bit of their Chichicapa offering, except it has more of a straightforward “smoke” on the nose and palate. There is a hint of leathery caramel while sipping and it finishes with a bit of a bite. The Minero definitely stands out in the espadin category. It’s one I’d recommend to mezcal newbies who enjoy bourbon. One interesting note is that this was distilled in clay, however I get much of a clay taste here. Batch 12-8.

This mezcal contains 10% agave syrup. The sweetness is a bit much for my taste; sipping it just makes me want to drink other Del Maguey espadins. The bottle does mention that this mezcal would make a “great margarita” or enjoyable drizzled over fruits or desserts. This mezcal is fairly inexpensive and doesn’t bill itself as a top-shelf sipping mezcal so don’t expect that if you pick up a bottle. I have a 2015 Batch #3 bottle that I will occasionally take out for tastings or when friends are over.

I should probably follow the advice on the back of the bottle and try it in a margarita next time!

The Del Maguey Chichicapa is one of my go-to mezcals. It’s gamey on the nose and has an oily mouthfeel (almost like a pechuga!). It has some bright citrus notes that open up a rich honey-vanilla sweetness and smooth finish.

I especially recommend this to mezcal newbies – it really shows you how unique mezcal from espadin agave can be depending on the mezcalero and palenque that involved crafting the spirit. Mezcalheads should add this one to their collection. While I’ve tasted this mezcal many times in multiple venues, this review was written while enjoying a 2015 Batch #4 bottle.