Mezcalero No. 23 is made by Don Cosme Hernandez, who has not been bottled under the Mezcalero brand since Mezcalero No. 5.
About this mezcal
Mezcalero No. 23 was distilled by Don Cosme Hernandez and his son Cirilo at their palenque in San Baltazar Guelavila. This mezcal was made with maguey Sierrudo, which in this case is a local name for a sub-varietal of agave Rhodacantha (relative of maguey Mexicano). Distilled in August 2015, this batch spent nearly four years resting in glass before being bottled in April 2019.
Mezcalero Mezcal
Each Mezcalero bottling is true to the fundamental batch nature of artisan Mezcal production. Each bottling is distilled from a single integral batch of agaves that are at least 50% wild or semi-wild, and usually 100%. These “silvestre” agaves take a lot of work to harvest: searching for days in the mountains, packing the agaves back on burros. After that, it takes a month of continuous labor to produce a single batch of Mezcalero, usually 600-700 bottles. Mezcalero is both a brand and an intention. The brand is a way for talented artisan distillers to work with, and gain part of their livelihood from, some very special agaves. The intention goes deeper: to help preserve a way of distilling that is also a way of life, deeply linked to the distiller’s family, to his social environs, to his pueblo, to an entire way of life largely deriving from indigenous culture that is at risk of rapid deterioration under pressure from the modernization of Mexico.
Craft Distillers’ tasting video
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MezcalBabe
75 reviewsI remember this being a perfectly fine mezcal to sip but I wouldn’t go out of my way to get it again.
Maguey: Sierrudo
Bach: August 2015
Raviled: April 2019
Lote 23
TheAgaveFairy
169 reviewsDrank next to mezcalero 25:
Weird cough medicine, dryer sheets, cig ash, green plantain, expo markers… complex, present smoke.
Lighter bodied, full of chemical tones and complexity. Open, herbaceous smoke, sage, fleeting notes of candy / gummies, decent lively acidity.
Complex, really complex, I think I could probably see the appeal for some folk. Ultimately this is just hard to parse through, strong character of the maker.
Whacky stuff, would have to be in the mood. Texture is what bumps it up, the incredible complexity.
Drank next to mezcalero 25:
Weird cough medicine, dryer sheets, cig ash, green plantain, expo markers… complex, present smoke.
Lighter bodied, full of chemical tones and complexity. Open, herbaceous smoke, sage, fleeting notes of candy / gummies, decent lively acidity.
Complex, really complex, I think I could probably see the appeal for some folk. Ultimately this is just hard to parse through, strong character of the maker.
Whacky stuff, would have to be in the mood. Texture is what bumps
SoloAgave
86 reviewsI made the mistake of trying this alongside the madrecuish so it was a bit of a shock after such an easy to drink spirit. I may revisit this review after another tasting. Nevertheless, I found the earthy/chalk/lavender flavor upfront just a little difficult to overcome. Reminded me of limestone rich soil and Sacatoro agave from Guerrero. Certainly unique – just didn’t enrapture me like the Madrecuishe but this brand has delicious mezcal so certainly worth digging into if given the chance!
I made the mistake of trying this alongside the madrecuish so it was a bit of a shock after such an easy to drink spirit. I may revisit this review after another tasting. Nevertheless, I found the earthy/chalk/lavender flavor upfront just a little difficult to overcome. Reminded me of limestone rich soil and Sacatoro agave from Guerrero. Certainly unique – just didn’t enrapture me like the Madrecuishe but this brand has delicious mezcal so certainly worth digging into if given the ch
CasaDeGuero
21 reviewsNose: slow building rich and sweet notes. Candied bacon. Palate: Some earthy notes. Some richness. Licorice lingering. A small amount of lasting tartness. Good strong and unique flavor. A fun mezcal.
Rakhal
430 reviewsThere’s a lot going on with this one. Really herbal and floral. I get lots of dryer sheet/fabric softener notes, but not in a bad way. Thyme, mint, sage, oregano, over ripe plums, burnt flowers, and red vines. I like this.
Tyler
668 reviewsDelicious mezcal. I’m not sure I’d guess agave Rhodacantha from these flavors. There are lots of dried fruit notes like apricot, peach, and mango. Reminds me of fruity agave Tobala mezcals.
Jonny
736 reviewsThis took a minute or so to open up. Now I’ve had a couple pours of this over the past few days and they’re all consistently awesome. The nose has aromas of both earth and candy: burnt flowers, hay, barnyard stank, mixing with air heads, chocolate cherries, raspberry sherbet, and plum. The palate has this super rich note of dark cherries mixing with sweet licorice, spearmint, menthol, candy apples, and ripe plum. There’s lots of dark fruit notes on this, but I wouldn’t say it’s a “dark” mezcal. It’s still pretty bright considering the richer, darker tones. Really enjoying this!
This took a minute or so to open up. Now I’ve had a couple pours of this over the past few days and they’re all consistently awesome. The nose has aromas of both earth and candy: burnt flowers, hay, barnyard stank, mixing with air heads, chocolate cherries, raspberry sherbet, and plum. The palate has this super rich note of dark cherries mixing with sweet licorice, spearmint, menthol, candy apples, and ripe plum. There’s lots of dark fruit notes on this, but I wouldn’t sa