Lot: S-09-TOB-19
Nose: Yum! Perky fruitiness with heavy farm cream notes.

Palate: Strawberry cream cheese to kick this adventure off followed by an engulfing minty heat. Pleasant mouth feel, optimal viscosity. The sweet, shortcake dessert aftertaste lingers and lingers… AMAZING!

Batch: WHK-036
Nose: Shoe leather. Watermelon sweet but a tad musty.

Palate: Balance! Smoky, candy sweet and some minerality too – a total all around’er.

Flavors are bold enough this feels like it could be more than the 40% ABV (perhaps the 42-43% range?). Solid entry level mezcal.

Lot #: YJ10-20 (Bottle: 2417/5100)
Nose: Walnut. Some cheesy funk. Swampy and smoky.

Palate: Powered sugar. A little creamy. Caramel. Nice bit of smoke. Slight ethanol heat. Cigar aftertaste.

I really like this espadin – it’s sweeter than most. The price is right too!

Bottle No. KH8415
Nose: Grassy. Citrus. Medium smoke.

Palate: Light viscous feel – somewhat slick though. Sweetness is interesting – if it exists – a fruit punch creamsicle. Tobacco and white pepper in the middle. Warm, wet stone aftertaste and some brine. As it fades away there is a slight numbing effect (Sichaun pepper but not nearly as spicy).

This seemed mediocre at first but vastly improved after a few sips. Good value as well.

Lote No: 3 (2019)
Nose: Vanilla aplenty. Light smoke.

Palate: A broken promise of sweetness from the nose. A bit of vanilla resides, some orange citrus in there but both really dialed back. The balance is ramped up wood and smoke. For a 41% ABV it is somehow a tad harsh yet the flavors seem diluted.

June 2021
LOT: E-22-E-20
I really wanted to give this another try and bought this bottle. I sipped the other one earlier in the year over a few weeks so I figured the 2.5 star rating was probably low. OK, I was wrong before. This is a killer espadin especially when it’s less than $40 online some places in California. I’ll probably finish this bottle in a few weeks once again and pony up for another.

December 2020
LOT: E-08-E-20
Nose: Hint of caramel. Mostly peppery vapor.

Palate: Much more mineral than sweet. Punches hard midway through with every bit of the 50% ABV. Finish is beaucoup vapor, same minerality and a tad salty.

This is pretty harsh for the price point.

Lot: CAS-T 13-02-2019
Nose: Overwhelmingly canned cream corn.

Palate: Cream corn again in abundance, but not as pronounced as the nose. Some latex – like opening a new band aid. Mint and white pepper heat.

This is decent – but the canned corn notes are a bit much.

Lote: 38 (935/1750, 09/20)
Nose: Smells green and spicy – like chopping up jalapeños on a wood cutting board.

Palate: An initial lychee sweetness – subtle and lasts for a few seconds. Then an awesome fresh, fire-roasted jalapeño middle and finish (with a drop of honey).

This is a great, diverse bottle especially at the price point.

Lote: MR-052
Nose: New basketball shoes (rubber) right outta the box! Sweet navel orange. Hint of pepper.

Palate: Smooth with the right amount of black pepper heat. Thin mouth feel. Solid mineral finish with a slight briny aftertaste.

It reminds of a high-end blanco tequila but has enough of the espadin sweetness to give it its mezcal identity. I miss the smoke (didn’t really pick up any) but this is still a win – very good value as well!

Lot No: MADTGC2002
Nose: Smoke almost undetectable. Fresh like a bouquet of flowers. Peanut shell. Very gentle on the nose.

Palate: Red pepper veggie notes. Dr. Pepper soda sweet. Incredible earthy finish – subtle sweetness and warmth lasts and lasts.

Unreal!!! I can’t wait to try more NETA!

Batch: MXTC04-01
Nose: Banana. Apples and cinnamon. Pine needles.

Palate: Reminds me of a spiced, mulled wine I had at a Christmas market. Herbal medicine. Baked, caramelized apples. Notes of anise.

It’s certainly chockfull of creativity but everything added to make this pechuga seems to over complicate it. The quality is obvious but it doesn’t fully resonate with me.

Lot: 93 (1182/1440)
Nose: Virtually no smoke. Vanilla. Smells like a great anejo tequila.

Palate: Pick up a lot of the oak barrel which dominates most of the benefit that comes with a solid espadin.

This is similar in quality to Casa Noble Anejo which is in the $50 range. Considering this mezcal is nearly double in price it really falls short in value. I enjoy it but I feel that it is way more tequila than mezcal.

Batch#: TP00115 (46%)
Nose: Hint of smoke. Peppermint. Grassy.

Palate: Incredible candy cane sugar pop! Papaya. More mint – with a hint of chocolate like an After Eight after-dinner mint. Mineral finish with white pepper heat.

So good! Especially in the mid-range pricing for mezcal.

LOT NO. VID-201
Nose: Fuel-rich smoke. Pine. Citrus sweetness carried by felt pen vapor.

Palate: Heavy smoke. Mouth feel is decent with a hint of sweetness in the midst. Aftertaste is metallic and not the good burn.

There are much, much better options at this price point.

Lot: FSKMICH-01 (075/480)
Nose: Pepper spicy. Sweet mango. Floral notes. Smoke is inviting.

Palate: Hot at first – serrano pepper. Great viscosity that coats beautifully. Creamy toffee. Smooth smoke aftertaste. (4 stars)

Part 2 (July 2021):
Lote No. MICHEX-03 (439/516)
This ensamble is different than the first, Azul and Alto maguey.
Nose – Cherry pie filling. Half and half cream.

Palate – Cherry flavored Sweet Tarts candy. Funky Baileys cheese cake. Baked pie crust. Black pepper heat. Tobacco on the finish. Aftertaste still resonates a creamy Cherry flavor along with the long, smoky finish.

This ensamble is better than the first (which was Alto/Cenizo).

LOTE: 16CU71118
Nose: Smoky, metallic vapor. A hint of lemon citrus sour.

Palate: Smooth creamy orange icing. Vapory ethanol and cigarette aftertaste. Killer start, bit of a rough finish.

So-so entry level espadin.

Batch: SN03
Nose: Leather. Sod. Cherry. Herbal cough medicine.

Palate: Cherry cheesecake. Cinnamon spice. Eucalyptus. Clay and ash finish with a gentle heat. Quality!

Lot: 145 (Bottle: 701)
Nose: Fresh dill. Butterscotch. Not a winning combo.

Palate: Pickles and cream. Watery. Notes of an aged so-so tequila. Metallic aftertaste.

LOT: B0061EB4220
Nose: Leather. Light smoke. Red apple.

Palate: Smooth entry. Banana cream. Pine needles. Smoky, peppermint as the vapory heat shows up late. Lingering brine aftertaste.

Crazy good for sub-$30 price point.

Lot: 100 (3191/5040)
Nose: Vanilla, citrus and smoke – all light but balanced.

Palate: Toffee sweet and white pepper heat. The lower ABV gives it a diluted feel across the board – feels like it would be better if the volume was turned up.