El Jolgorio Barril delicately balances sweetness, citrus, and a distinct minerality. It is earthy with hints of light smoke.
About this mezcal
El Jolgorio Barril uses the maguey Barril, which is part of the Karwinskii agaves that grows wild or in a semi-cultivated environment. The Barril piña is dense with sugars and very little water, which results in a Mezcal of great complexity. This Mezcal delicately balances sweetness, citrus, and a distinct minerality. It is earthy with hints of light smoke.
El Jolgorio Mezcal
El Jolgorio translates to “the revelry”. Jolgorios are small festivals that occur in remote, mountain villages throughout Oaxaca, Mexico. They celebrate births, deaths, weddings and Saint’s days. For centuries, the lifeblood of these celebrations has been traditional mezcal. In 2010, the Cortés family began building a collective of top mezcal distillers from around Oaxaca. As of 2019, El Jolgorio represents sixteen different families, working in ten different regions of Oaxaca, Mexico, each with its own special story. Every bottle is hand-marked with the specific details of each batch, to truly connect the drinker with the family behind the expression.
In 2017, the team behind the brand realized that certain varieties of agave would be extremely limited and they would only be able to make them available once per year (if at all). They began packaging these rare editions in black bottles to set them apart from the other releases.
The artwork on the first 8 releases was created by Alejandro Peña (Espadin, Pechuga, Tobala, Cuixe, Madrecuixe, Tepeztate, Barril and Mexicano). The next 5 labels were created by Asis Cortes (Arroqueno, Jabalin, Coyote, Tobaxiche, and Cenizo) and the Sierrudo artwork was created by Alberto Almánza.
Review this bottle
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GMAD
97 reviewsEDITION: 17 2017, 47%, BOT No: 153/180
Gregorio Hernandez (K&L Select)
Nose – Musky and sweet; tamarind, old wood, pine, coconut. And some sweet synthetics; glue, vinyl, cottage cheese.
Palate – A clean taste, like mineral water, flushes yours mouth in the beginning of the sips. But the overall body is citrusy, nutty, and a little bit cheesy; orange creamsicle and pina coladas.
Finish – The sweetness dries off and gives you a little smoked bbq.
Great! Light, bright and refreshing. This limited edition bottling has been glass aged for 5 years. The effect of this is evident because it is very mellow as opposed to new bottlings which are typically intense. Perfect sipper.
EDITION: 17 2017, 47%, BOT No: 153/180
Gregorio Hernandez (K&L Select)
Nose – Musky and sweet; tamarind, old wood, pine, coconut. And some sweet synthetics; glue, vinyl, cottage cheese.
Palate – A clean taste, like mineral water, flushes yours mouth in the beginning of the sips. But the overall body is citrusy, nutty, and a little bit cheesy; orange creamsicle and pina coladas.
Finish – The sweetness dries off and gives you a little smoked bbq.
Great! Light, bright and re
Imperium
118 reviewsEdition 17 from 2017 K&L exclusive
Bottle 5/180 47%
Rested in glass 5 years
Nose: Barril! Blast of citrus and wood with a coppery tone, smells of karwinskii greenness, orange blossom and honey with a bit of nail polish remover but not in a very bad way (that has gone away as the bottle opened up).
Palate: Intense. Lots going on with a front blast of spice and some heat, with strong citrus peal flavors that mellow into orange blossom and honey.
Grape soda on the finish that eventually turns into woody pina flavors.
After opening up, this mezcal is an orange bomb, with tangerine / mandarin, navel, blood orange all mixed up. Maybe you could use this instead of triple sec in a margarita (just kidding)!
I was really interested to try this one because of the glass rested nature, and I didn’t have a fully barril bottle before this, only ensambles (which it’s often suited for).
Edition 17 from 2017 K&L exclusive
Bottle 5/180 47%
Rested in glass 5 years
Nose: Barril! Blast of citrus and wood with a coppery tone, smells of karwinskii greenness, orange blossom and honey with a bit of nail polish remover but not in a very bad way (that has gone away as the bottle opened up).
Palate: Intense. Lots going on with a front blast of spice and some heat, with strong citrus peal flavors that mellow into orange blossom and honey.
Grape soda on the finish that eventually turns i
JDB
190 reviews47% abv, Harvest 2017, Bottle 168/180 Batch: GRHBA150617EJ, Gregorio Hernandez Lopez, Rested in glass for five years
Special release and exclusive for K&L Wines. I am fan of barril, and have like several by different mezcaleros/as. This expression has lots going on. Dusty earth, unrefined maple syrup or sap, and aftershave on the nose. The flavors have a lot of breadth and depth: slightly oily mouthfeel, sweet rice, corn husk, cardamon in the pod, wood shavings, and burlap sack. I recommend letting the pour sit and get some air to reveal the complexity. K&L still has a pretty good stock of this expression, over 60 bottles. Well priced at $130, there are cheaper barrils on the market, but aging in glass for five years justifies the price point in my book.
47% abv, Harvest 2017, Bottle 168/180 Batch: GRHBA150617EJ, Gregorio Hernandez Lopez, Rested in glass for five years
Special release and exclusive for K&L Wines. I am fan of barril, and have like several by different mezcaleros/as. This expression has lots going on. Dusty earth, unrefined maple syrup or sap, and aftershave on the nose. The flavors have a lot of breadth and depth: slightly oily mouthfeel, sweet rice, corn husk, cardamon in the pod, wood shavings, and burlap sack. I rec
Ranger_Ryan
47 reviewsHad at La Negrita Cantina in Merida. A little cheesey, not my favorite flavor profile.
aarild
153 reviewsI had this seconds after the bottle was opened. Very woody tipping over to bitter, a bit harsh alcohol.
After 15 minutes, I realise this is a good mezcal with an excellent structure and a long aftertaste. I’ll hopefully come back to this bottle later. There is an undertow of agave sweetness that does not really come through, and hints of karwinskii coconut and peanut notes hiding somewhere in there.
MezcAleman
28 reviewsI had the chance to get it at a Mezcal bar in Birmingham, AL.
Nose: Smoke, green and a little bit sweetness
Taste: very smooth and creamy. Smoke on the front and sweet vanilla bean on the the back
Very nice sip!
SoloAgave
86 reviewsEdition 11 (2017) – Gregorio Hernandez. I have a soft spot for all expressions in the Jolgorio lineup – just the cost makes them somewhat prohibitive. This karwinskii has one of the stronger lumberyard profiles I’ve come across. Its like tasting a home depot lumber/garden/flower center combined :). Not for the faint of heart – direct.
Zack Klamn
542 reviewsNose – Grilled pineapple. Rose water.
Palate – It’s got a bitter, smoky bite (tangy, sour) to it right at the get go. Floral (jasmin) sweetness in the finish. Dry, wood heavy aftertaste.
meserole
73 reviewsViscous and oily, a little gamey – you could convince me that this was a pechuga. Notes of wood, sandstone, leather. Unique, interesting, but not exactly my cup of tea.
Edicion 07-2017. Bottle 1222/1400. 47% abv.
Tried at Mezcalogia in Oaxaca City.
Wine65
5 reviewsEdition 10 – Gregorio Hernandez. Earth and minerals in the nose. Nice balance between tropical fruit, butterscotch, smoke and minerals. Definitely leans towards the fruit. Nice after dinner drink.
Juriy
23 reviewsNose: sweet, floral, toasted agave and pineapple
Palette: sweet, slightly sour and salty, great balance, just enough smoke. This tastes like charred grilled bananas. Love it.
Another great mezcal from El Jolgorio.
t8ke
144 reviewsMedium mouth feel, no heat. Sweet cream, vanilla, honey and toffee. Faintly flora, and fruity. Really sweet. Surprisingly mild when it comes to smoky, earthy more medicinal character.
Rakhal
430 reviewsLot 07. Gregorio Hernández. This was like dessert! Sweet with a long tasty finish. Jasmine flower, wildflower honey, vanilla ice cream, and cloves. Yum.
jgerdes
7 reviewsMy least favorite so far of the El Jolgorio range. Had an off putting mineral note as well as an off putting sour note.
Nic Hnastchenko
109 reviewsFrom my Mezcal Masterclass on Karwinskii.
Tasted again next to the Madrecuishe, and its tasty, leans a little more woody.
GreenspointTexas
385 reviewsSolid barril offering. Like it more than some of EJs others. Pricey, but not sticker shocked based on batch size.
Chris
40 reviewsBatch 04 2014 bottle 1338 / 1640 by Ignacio Parada. This is more floral on the mouth than either of the two comparison Karwinskii’s I have sampled with it today. The Rey Campero Cuishe Sept 2016 692 / 1054 by Sanchez Parada is not far behind and is four star juice in my book as well. Great smoky, leather, wood, earth taste on both, but a bit of perfume mixed in with the Jolgorio Barril. I’d give the edge to the Jolgorio, but both are really good. I’m trying to warm to the hotter Jolgorio Tobaziche, which cost more than both of the other bottles combined and leaves my lips burning, but I’m not there.
December 2019 – Smoke, wood and leather again. Yep, got the floral as well. Really good, but not great like Real Minero Largo, so the four star stays where it is.
Batch 04 2014 bottle 1338 / 1640 by Ignacio Parada. This is more floral on the mouth than either of the two comparison Karwinskii’s I have sampled with it today. The Rey Campero Cuishe Sept 2016 692 / 1054 by Sanchez Parada is not far behind and is four star juice in my book as well. Great smoky, leather, wood, earth taste on both, but a bit of perfume mixed in with the Jolgorio Barril. I’d give the edge to the Jolgorio, but both are really good. I’m trying to warm to the hott
Tyler
668 reviewsVery tasty barril from El Jolgorio. For me, barrils are one of the more potent members of the karwinskii agave family with loud flavors. This barril has notes of wood, earth, honey, lavender, and orange blossom. The finish is a bit hot but overall this is a delicious barril. Edition 04 from 2014, Ignacio Parada.
Jonny
736 reviewsEdition 04 from 2014. Bottle 583/1640 from Ignacio Parada. Strong aromas of butter, peppercorn, and charred cinnamon. There’s a bit of heat on this mezcal that isn’t really typical of the other El Jolgorio. The flavor is still complex, but there’s a bite to this that isn’t present in their other releases. Flavor notes include cinnamon, blood orange, and baked vanilla bean.If this were $90, it would get 4 stars, but it’s not $90. Given the price, this is only 3 stars.
Edition 04 from 2014. Bottle 583/1640 from Ignacio Parada. Strong aromas of butter, peppercorn, and charred cinnamon. There’s a bit of heat on this mezcal that isn’t really typical of the other El Jolgorio. The flavor is still complex, but there’s a bite to this that isn’t present in their other releases. Flavor notes include cinnamon, blood orange, and baked vanilla bean.If this were $90, it would get 4 stars, but it’s not $90. Given the price, this is only 3 stars