Vago Elote – Aquilino García López

A2-09-EL-19, 50.1%, 50ml

Nose – A mellow sweetness, thats a little nutty and somewhat tart. A sweet, cheesy and creamy smell. Leather, pina coladas, coconut cream, musk, milk chocolate, fresh cut grass, and some sweet corn for good measure. This smells wet, damp, and lightly mildewed – in the most complimentary way possible.

Palate – Fantastic. Citrus flavored chewing gum when the flavor is almost gone. A sweet, mellow tone that has some subtleties of savoriness. Sweet corn, green bell peppers, hatch green chiles, cilantro, honey, and grapefruit.

Finish – The send off is mellow and subdued. The notes become bittersweet and a little dry; tobacco, orange rind, brown sugar.

A treat to have the opportunity to be able to sample once in my life, a Mezcal from Aquilino Garcia. Through this particular distillation, his reputation is present in the complexity of flavors that never become abrasive and consistently please the senses in regards to aroma, taste, and feel. Enjoyable through and through.

June 2019, 50.2% ABV Lot A-08-EL-19

So I am torn in on this release, I have tasted the espadin and the mexicano by Aquilino and really like both. I have sipped on this bottle for a while, and I just don’t think it works for me. Nose has some sweet notes, a bit of mint, candle wax, chewing gum, and Windex. The taste does have the corn up front and through the palate and onto the finish, but it does not seem to blend well with the espadin. There is another flavor that also masks the agave. Like the flavor lays on top so you can’t get to the agave underneath. I wonder if this is the batch or just that a pechuga with other flavors may find a better way to blend into the mezcal. Could be that the bottle got too much oxygen and caused the flavors to get unbalanced.

LOT A2-04-El-19, 51,2%

This is a mezcal that puts a smile on your face. It’s very tasty, and it goes down surprisingly smooth despite a 51,2% vol. Also very good bang for buck, as it’s one of the more affordable mezcals available where I live (the Netherlands).

On the nose there is subtle smoke, or perhaps that’s the roasted corn. It has the right amount of sweetness to make it all well-balanced. Has a slight minerality to it. Not very complex, just absolutely delicious.

I like to recommend this bottle to first timers who think mezcal is too ‘smokey.’ For the approachable price of $60, the Elote shows that mezcal is a spirit worth exploring in detail. The corn really shines here with an initial sweetness that lingers and turns into nail polish remover on the back of tongue. I buy this bottle regularly and it never disappoints; however, there is some variety between batches. I find that the late 2019 batches are the best expression from Alquilino (RIP). It’s also great to hear that, at least for now, the Hijos are continuing the tradition with no loss in quality. Many bottles marked with Alquilino’s name are still being sold, but they will run out no doubt in 2021. Get a bottle to enjoy and remember this great Mescalero!

Lot A-07-EL-19
June 2019
942 liters, 50.3% ABV

Aroma hits you from arm’s length as this opens up in the cup. Fragrances of almond nougat, charred wood, ocean air, and mesquite or hickory smoke. Bold in the mouth as with most Vago bottles but the heat doesn’t overwhelm. Flavors of roasted chestnuts, hominy, and Anaheim pepper flesh without the heat. Good mouthfeel. I liked this more as the bottle neared emptiness and I finally got around to reviewing it a couple of months after buying it. The flavor nuances have really come forward in that time.