5 Sentidos Papalometl

Nose – Funk of old, sharp cheese and aged meat. Notes of icing sugar.

Palate – The queasy funkiness that I associate (and love) with a 50+ day aged, well-marbled ribeye steak. Peppermint. Sea salt. Smoke from an oak campfire. The cow hide fermentation really comes through in the nose and palate. This is pretty steady from start to finish. Very unique, very tasty! This was a 2 oz. pour at Destilado in Oaxaca on May 28, 2021 (No batch info). Rated it: 4.5 stars.

Nov. 6, 2021 Update – Procured a bottle of this from Tahona Mercado (Batch: PM05-18).
Nose – Cheesy funky, slightly smoky goodness. Powdered sugar.

Palate – Crushed mint. Slightly bitter. Lean aged beef (not marbled and fatty like the previous review). Oaky smoke. Flavors aren’t as explosive as I remembered but still an awesome mezcal. Rated it: 4.25 stars.

Overall very similar to the infamous Farolito Papalometl tasted next to it, soft, herbal with a mintier lift, light cheese, a touch less of the associated hide notes. More fruit forward than the above, also lemon and other yellow bright fruits, perhaps golden apple, some vanilla.

A little brighter, more identifiable as A. Potatorum in the fruits and floral tones presented like violet candies. A similar development, with a longer and sweeter finish, showcasing a little more minerality.

Brighter, easier, a little more intense on flavor even at the lower proof.

PM02, 111/268, 44.3% abv

This was my least favorite 5 Sentidos when I first tried it, and now 4 months later from my closet, is up there with the best. It was just too… grapefruit-pithy. Even though I prefer this one neat, friends loved the palomas made with this.

Full nose of perfumey pepper, leather, volcanic rock. Taste is sweet and saline like soy sauce and grapefruit juice at the same time. Less-sweetened Pocari Sweat to black leather mid palate, slate, boiled pink peppercorns (undried) leading to grapefruit pith, agave, sand, and saline in that order. Like with all 5 Sentidos I’ve tried, finish is loooooong.

batch PM02, 44.3% abv, 152/268. 4.5 stars. didn’t get a chance to read or take a picture of the back label. earthy, barnyard funk runs rampant on the nose much like the 5 sentidos sierra negra, though not as intense/complex. it’s the top note upon entry but quickly morphs thereafter. starts leathery and gives way to lovely tobala fruitiness. fun to drink, very nice. a little thin on the palate though and perhaps suffered by comparison to the other two i drank this next to (5 sentidos sierra negra and bicuixe-madrecuixe).

I was blown away when I found out that I could buy such a rustically produced “agave distillate” here in the US. One would expect to have to trek personally into the countryside of Oaxaca to find a treasure like this. Needless to say, I went into this bottle with very high expectations.

To be fully honest, once I cracked this open, my initial impressions were not the greatest. I found it light, subtle, and having too much alcohol presence. BUT PLEASE READ ON….

I stuck with it, and over a period of a few weeks it was like watching a flower bloom. What I get from it now is totally different from my first samplings. One thing I like is how the nose, mouth, and finish are very consistent. There is a brininess mixed with fruit (berries, melon, etc…) that I get throughout, especially in the mouth. There’s also hints of freshly conditioned leather, mostly on the nose and finish (not sure if that’s just a mental thing knowing how it’s fermented). The finish also has a lingering minerality which makes me wonder how I ever thought this was subtle. Granted, it’s not in your face like some mezcal, but it’s a gorgeous spirit. A key takeaway from this: LET YOUR SPIRITS BREATHE!