Definitely get notes similar to Maguey Tepeztate. Soft charred red peppers, graham crackers, and sugar cookies. Very enjoyable but not necessarily super exciting. Batch PCH05-20.

Starts off a bit hot but once you ease in this has some nice sugar and minerality. Bicuixe makes a fun mezcal that can lean too dry but this one has enough sweetness to balance things out. There is a some notes of cotton candy and Lemonheads. Lote 07USA-19. 4 stars.

Sipping this again in April 2022 – amazing. Nice clean fruity notes and a perfect balance of minerals and agave. Updated to 4.5 stars

I love this. Alberto is a master and this batch is basically perfect. Huge agave notes with orange peel, sugar syrup, fresh bark, and rainwater. Would rather just enjoy this instead of adding more notes. Batch CAP01-19 bottle 257/355, 48.1%.

Edit: The Red Hot note from Squashplayer is pretty spot on.

A unique mezcal and one I’d recommend you try.. as I poured it I automatically thought it was from Oaxaca and then as I started sipping was thinking it tasted like something from a different state… duh! It has those Michoacán vibes. It doesn’t automatically stand out as something not made 100% from agave piñas. The first note that stands out is strawberry shortcake on the front. There is a bit of pop mid-late palate with notes of firewood and peat. Underneath it all are some complex vegetal notes like fresh cucumber and arugula (pepper flavors). I might revisit and add more thoughts later. I dig this one. Not sure of the batch but it was the first release in 2021.

Ignacio Parada is one of my favorite El Jolgorio mezcaleros. This has lots of mineral complexity. There are some interesting funk flavors here like blanched yellow peppers and allspice. There is some spicy lime rind and wood. It’s almost like a bit of Jabali added into a Karwinskii. I’ve been sitting on this bottle for a while without reviewing it. I’m not head-over-heels for this like some of his other releases. It is fun to have an 8 year old mezcal from Ignacio that still packs a punch at 53.1%! Edition 01 from 2014 when it was labeled as “Cenizo”.. bottle 114/400 (I think, hard to read).

Similar musty notes compared to the Arroqueño from the previous Agave Mixtape edition (Vol. 7). This is slightly better because I think the milk chocolate notes of Maguey Mexicano are better paired with musty notes. It wavers between great and unpleasant with notes ranging from orange rind candy, cinnamon, and plastic. I will need to revisit this one and update the review later. Agave Mixtape batch volume 8.

Fun ensamble from the Logoche group. It’s kind of piney at first. Herbaceous and green. Reminds me of the old school dark green speamint Tic Tacs. I think the “sotol” has some influence here but karwinskii seems prominent. An interesting thing happened with this mezcal.. I mistakenly left about a half ounce in a glass one night and the next day it tasted great. Often mezcals will “burn out” and taste like watery vinegar if left out in a glass overnight. From Agave Mixtape volume 8.

Some of those classic Cortes notes (see: minerality). Big time sugar and minerals. More sugar on this one.. like rock candy. The Bicuixe comes in on the finish.. dry and a bit pungent but a great balance to the sweet Espadin. As others have noted, there is a faint lactic note in the background. The finish lingers on the tongue. Agave Mixtape volume 8 batch.

Edit: After sipping again I’m going to bump up my rating a bit. It is really nice and fresh compared to some of the other mezcals I have sipped this evening.

Big change from the Rey Zapoteco Espadin. Big notes of herbal mint-like eucalyptus or yerba mate. For a karwinskii, I’m not getting many of the dry woody note.. it is full of fresh flavors. Overall it is interesting but there is a sour note which distracts me a bit. At 45%, the alcohol seems a bit stronger than it should be. Batch E-0124, 2019.

A somewhat standard yet classic tasting Espadin. It transports me to Oaxaca and memories of sipping mezcal in bars in Oaxaca City. There is a bit of dark fruit tartness along with smoked wood. Batch E-0124, 2019.

After sipping a small sample on multiple occasions I’ve been unable to enjoy this. On paper it sounds amazing.. puntas with Tepeztate, Tobala, and Espadin! I really wanted to get into this one. For me, there is a Windex note that is hard to overcome. It is also kind of a smoke bomb. The high ABV isn’t a problem here, it is the flavors. It is not very complex and has a short dry finish. Not all puntas are created equally and I cannot imagine having a full bottle of these puntas. This is the first release from Gusto Historico that I can’t really get behind – the other releases all range from good to incredible. Lot VC.05.21.PTTE

My favorite of the Exiliado lineup. Notes of mint, cinnamon, honeydew, and dark agave syrup. More “Karwinskii-ish” than the Madrecuishe. Lot TSJ-20-01.

A nice Madrecuishe which isn’t super dry or “woody” but has some nice damp forest notes. There’s like a lime cranberry fruit cocktail flavor here. Similar citrus notes to the Espadin. Lot MDC-20-01.

This has a nice minerality which I wasn’t expecting. Overall I’m not drawn towards mezcals from San Dionisio Ocotepec but this is nice. Notes of vanilla syrup, powdered sugar, and lime zest. Not sure complex but has a fresh vegetal flavor which is appealing. It is bright and would make a nice cocktail. Finish is a tad sour. Lot ESJ-20-01.

Super green. Gummy worms. White sugar and some raw zucchini. Flavors make me think of “al dente” agave like it wasn’t fully cooked so there are still fresh green flavors remaining. Short dry finish. As you warm up to it notes of fruit start to appear.. I need a larger dram! Batch 0520ER from May 2020. 3.75/5 stars.

The most interesting (and costly) bottle in the Lost Explorer lineup. Big minty notes. Some mint chip ice cream. Jonny’s review is spot on with Jolly Ranchers, I get the watermelon flavor. I can see people really getting into this one because it is not too smoky nor harsh. It is approachable and quite unique. Flavors aren’t very complex but they’re outside the average Oaxacan mezcal spectrum. Bit of water on the finish.

This bit from their website is confusing: “Salmiana really stands for its scientific name Maguey Verde, an agave traditionally used to produce pulque.” I think they meant “local name”; Agave salmiana is the scientific name I’ve never heard of the source of pulque called Maguey Verde in Oaxaca. The cost of $180/bottle is a bit ridiculous for this low ABV mezcal; I hope the producer is getting a nice cut of that profit. The Derrumbes SLP tastes similar and is $35/bottle. I will say that the agave “age statement” on the bottles is very creative and educational. If it were to catch on there is no way to regulate or verify it.. fun marketing technique though.

No batch info; this was a sample received in January 2021.

Soft green vegetal notes. There is a green pepper note along with coconut water which is nice. There are some subtle herbal notes which are nice. I’m rarely wowed by Tobala mezcales and this one is just fine. For $150/bottle I’d probably seek out a Tobala from a different brand at the same or lower price with a higher ABV. No batch info; this was a sample received in January 2021.

Full-flavored Espadin at 42% ABV. There is a big red apple note on this one almost like an apple brandy. Fruit forward. Short finish and not very complex but still enjoyable. For $80/bottle I’d prefer a bit higher ABV. No batch info; this was a sample received in January 2021.

My favorite of the Tio Tello batches. There are some interesting dark fruit notes along with cinnamon-sugar and a touch of minerals. It is graceful and complex. Batch TELMC14.

Crazy that this batch is from 2007! It tastes a bit like cherry candy. It is possible that the age has made the sweet flavors more rich and the dry wood notes are less prominent. The big flavor to me is fruit preserves. It’s nice. Batch TELCU07.