Pretty darn good azul mezcal. Sweeter than a high proof blanco. But that lime citus and black pepper heat. A bit more charred wood. A 1.5 oz. sample from Barcoa in Phoenix. Shoulda ordered more but it was last call.

Nose – Light sugar and milky notes.

Palate – Grassy, apple pie sweet but too much ethanol.

Nose – Rose stems. Floral for days. Pine wood. Slight bleu cheese aroma as well.

Palate – Funky and floral – what a combo! Classic bubblegum sweetness in the middle. Baking spices. Finish had some flower petal and pink salt flavors. Extremely complex, I could carry on much longer dissecting this although it’s only a 2 oz. sample. More please. 🙁

Nose – Bloomed lilacs. Watermelon rind. A fantastic, floral and sugary aromas.

Palate – White chocolate, orange rind and rose petals in a very lasting finish. Wet soil in the aftertaste.

Nose – Leather. Rose water. A nice balance of manly and feminine aroma.

Palate – Razor sharp flavors. Plantain. Chalk. Fresh fig fruit. Finish goes on for days.

This was a 1 oz. sample from Santo Mezcal in Santa Barbara.

Nose – Vanilla cola. Grass. Inviting, perfume aromas.

Palate – The most memorable part of the palate was the watery, bitter and weak ethanol in the finish. It tasted like too much tails/colas made it’s way through. I wanted much more for this price point.

This was a 1 oz sample at Santo Mezcal in Santa Barbara.

Nose – Nail polish. Coconut water. Walnut.

Palate – This one is a grower not a show’er… meager appearance but then an explosive finish! Chalk. Banana. Dates. Clay minerality… dynamite flavors. Love this one.

Nose – Cherry Sweet Tart candy. Lactic with a light aroma of soured farm cream.

Palate – Too sour tasting for my liking.

Nose: Big time… Crème Brule crust! This was my best association to describe the creamy, sweet and smoky aromas – all well balanced and pleasant. More subtle aromas I found grape Sweet Tart candy, carrot tops, raw sourdough bread.

Palate: Dominant notes of Cream Soda and / or Vanilla Root Beer. Through the whole experience it’s like the flavor bounced between the two. Minor front-end notes – dry grass upon entry, parsnip / root vegetable in the middle. Middle-to-finish I got oak and a very dry white wine (gentle sea salt in the finish).

This was light on the heat for 47% ABV but big on flavor – so I guess a solid “smoothness” factor.

I visited Jose’s palenque several years ago and he has one of the more distinct flavors throughout all the mezcales I tried there. I was very happy when his great work hit the market here in the USA!

Nose – Rock candy. Subtle sharp cheddar cheese. Light mint. Not very much vegetal aroma I find for a typical tepeztate.

Palate – Pime wood. Tiny bit of anise. Rose petal. A woody and slightly bitter finish – very long, minutes into the aftertaste. Solid mezcal. This was a 2 oz. sample.

Nose – Vanilla. Mandarin orange. Subtle pine wood.

Palate – A bit of an oily feel but nice. Rose petal. Leather. Pine wood burst in the finish. Good stuff. ABV – 48%

Nose – Mint leaves. Cinnamon. Slightly buttery.

Palate – Rancho leather. Banana. Damn… the bicuixe really pops! A floral and fresh mint finish. Very long and pleasantly dry.

This was a delicious 2 oz. sample from my mezcal amigo down in L.A. 🙏

Nose – Dried papaya. Some grapefruit rind. Hay. Very Puebla-esque. 👌

Palate – Fruity, punchy entry. Dried tropical fruit (papaya, pineapple). Mandarin orange. A pleasant leather note. Slight cigarette ash in the finish and some watery bitterness likely from the tobala tails. Overall, a good value ensamble that stumbles a bit on the back nine.

Nose – Vanilla. Sugar crystals. Medium+ smoke but pleasant. Not rough or ethanol rich like many cheap espadin. A touch of rubber.

Palate – Grassy. Vanilla bean sweetness. Slight latex. Flavors and aromas both on the smokier side but good. Mostly clean. I didn’t see the bottle (or get batch info, maybe recent ones are better?) but if it was 40% it had the flavor of about a 43-44% espadin. I was very pleasantly suprised by this an ordered another sipper. A solid, budget mezcal. 👌

Lot: QuioteD2022
Nose – Fire-seared orange peel. Vanilla bean. A slight, sour smokiness.

Palate – Vanilla cream, Tang (orange drink) and clay. All three last long into the finish. Very straight forward and I love it. A fantastic clay-distilled espadin, nice frickin’ work Dani!

Lot: Pechuga 2022-01 ABV: 48%
Nose – Dried apricot. Orange peels. Smoked chicken. Clay. Fruity and not over-spiced – great start.

Palate – Heavy on the anise that distracts me from a great pineapple fruitiness in the beginning. Good stuff in the middle, similar flavors to the aromas – apricot and roast chicken. Smoky clay throughout. A Sprite fizziness, orange peel and a tad soapy in the finish. Decent pechuga.. For some reason, I love almost all of Lalo’s expressions but his pechuga expressions just don’t hit the spot.

Nose – A combination grapefruit citrus and vanilla.

Palate – Fruity to start. Subtle vanilla bean. Tad bit of bread dough. A note of shaved, Parmesan cheese right off the wheel shines on the back end. A crazy. long finish and aftertaste. Some Miahuatlan magic happening here. A top espadin for sure and a great find by Ben and the MB/AMT team.

Lot: CTepeztate2022
Nose – Creme Brule crust. Smoked gruyere.

Palate – At first, a combination of lime-lime soda and minerality, like drinking 7up out of a clay cup. Smoky vanilla bean in a very, long tasty finish. A floral / flower stem bitterness in the aftertaste and a bit hot on the back end for 47%. All in all, a great ensamble by Lalo.

58% Tepeztate. 22% Madrecuixe. 20% Cuixe.
51.2% ABV. LOT: E-32-TMCC-19

Nose – Watermelon juice. Chalky. Floral. Slight peanut shell note. Long lasting, bright aromas. Very nice. I pick up much more of the agave karwinskis in here.

Palate – Hot to start, even for 51%. Cherry Gummi Bears. Bamboo shoots. Lavender. A tad cheesy (Parmesan) and woodiness (fresh bark) in the finish.

Overall, packs a great punch of flavor although I reckon some may find this a bit hot. I like it though, another fabulous ensamble bottle to add to the collection.

Lot: TEP-171
Nose – Cherry candy. Rose petal. Slight nuttiness. A country road dustiness. Fantastic aromas, not the quintessential green, spicy, vegetal notes I usually find in tepeztate mezcales.

Palate – Celery leaf. Smoked chicken you’d find in a great, Texas bbq joint. Very light creaminess. A tiny flowery soap note but definitely not unpleasant. For 45% ABV this is absolutely full of flavor, IMO punches around 50% without the heat. This is one of the more unique tepeztates I’ve tried – a kick ass bottle! It seems there has been quite the variability in batches over the years (which I unfortunately have not tried) but this newer one rocks.