Vago Ensamble en Barro

Lot S-01/08-ECBB-17, October 2017, 652 liters, 84% Espadin, 9% Coyote, 5% Blanco 2% Barril.

Normally a big fan of Tio Rey and his Ensambles but a bit let down here. Perhaps it’s another case of a bottle open for too long, but the ethanol glosses over the bouquet of things-once-nice. I don’t quite understand the idea of listing percentages so small, might as well leave the drinker to guess the remaining 16% with slices so thin. Any good descriptors have long burnt off here, only leaving sharp honeysuckle and melty crayon to savor.

Mezcal Vago Ensamble en Barro

Tio Rey

December 2018 Distillation Date

This will be my first Mezcal review

ABV: 48.5%

Nose: A sweetness, similar to aloe vera without the chemicalness, campfire smoke like its been burning on a nice evening, savory, hints of fruits and maybe some meat flavor to it.

Palate: Campfire smoke, Aloe sweetness, with the fruity hint. Delicious with a good mouthfeel to it.

Finish: Medium length, Smokey, agave sweetness, with other flavors I will admit to having some issues identifying. But they are good.

This spirit style is so different from anything Ive tried thus far, and I look forward to exploring more of them. Of the few Mezcals Ive tried so far this one is savory, sweet with a good balance of the smokieness that goes along with. A great summer drink.

Lot S-01/08-ECBB-17 (October 2017), 51.8%
84% Espadin, 9% Coyote, 5% Blanco, 2% Barril

Nose: Wet clay, potting soil, musty old books, tarry smoke, old tire swing. In other words, very earthy and dank, but as the glass sits there emerge a few brighter tones of Granny Smith apple, artichoke hearts, and wildflower.

Palate: Damp earth and rubbery smoke dominate again, but there’s also some sour apple, roasted Brussels sprouts, and mild soft cheese funk. Quite hot, with a medium body.

Finish: Cooked agave with green peppercorn, old rubber, graphite and a dusty astringency. Some roasted nuts late. Medium length.

A bit disappointed with this batch of the Ensamble, even several months after opening. The nose is dark and distinctive, but the overwhelming clay and rubber make for a muted development. Those who prefer their mezcal especially dank might love this one, but I’ll try again with a different lot.

Lot S-10-CEM-19 64% Coyote, 24% Espadin, 12% Mexicano. Pretty harsh. Wood varnish, pine resin, cedar, peppermint altoids, bitter cacao, black pepper, and pineapple. I don’t recommend this batch.

Lot S-06-EM-18. 55% Espadin+45% Mexicano. Ocean salt, kombu, and caraway seed. Smells like mediocre tequila. Short finish. 2 stars

Didn’t get the Lot number. 55% Espadin, 45% Mexicano. Ok this is weird, unless he made 2 identical batches something is going on. Anyways I love this batch! Frothy hot dark chocolate amargo!! Vanilla, sawdust after a rain. Delicious! 4.5 stars

Lot S-01/08-ECBB-17. 84% Espadin, 9% Coyote, 5% Blanco, 2% Barril. Another underwhelming batch. Interesting only because it’s very earthy and mineral forward. It’s creamy and a bit too hot with notes of graphite, crushed granite, and freshly turned soil. Some big anise notes on the finish. 3 stars

Lot S-17-MEAC-19. 47% Mexicano, 39% Espadin, 7% Arroqueño, 6% Coyote Verde.
Cinnamon, crushed bricks, vanilla, clove, allspice, brown sugar. My favorite Tio rey so far! 4.5 stars.

Lot s-16/05-EACM-18, 42% espadin, 27% arroqueno, 20% coyote, 11% mexicano, 50.5% abv.

I have learned there are many variations of ensambles, so I will now keep an eye out for proportions I haven’t tried. As with most mezcal they are small batch and usually offer something new between batches.

Nose – peppery. No depth.

Slightly bitter. Not too much alcohol bite like others have mentioned, but it almost feels as if its missing depth. I cant quite place the taste. It reminds me somewhat of a garage. Metallic, maybe oily? There is nothing wrong with this mezcal.

It had a great price point. It just doesn’t have the depth I have learned to love. I would buy this again to give it a fair shake on another proportion of maguey.

66% Arroqueno 26% Coyote 8% Mexicano, 244L batch, LOT S-03-ACM-17

Earthen / clay meets dark agave, dark fruits, dark smoke. Appropriately integrated heat, could be lower but it’s not particularly offensive. A few drops of water excites the ash and berries, and a light burnt sage note, nice. Hits with a dense dark profile, clay spreads across the mouth with the fruit sweetness, peppers tingling on the edges and the few bright notes too. Finish is even and long with smoke lingering throughout the mouth. Water softens the event in a nice way, a more open and sweet entry whilst maintaining good richness. Will add review for another batch.

There are numerous variations of Tio Rey’s Ensamble en Barro. For me, some are very clay-heavy.. with wet/earth flavors that overpower the agave notes. However, many editions are spectacular. One of my favorites is Lot S-20–EMB-15 which is 53% Espadin, 32% Barril, and 15% Mexicano, distilled in March 2015 at 52.6% ABV.

The clay notes are present but exist softly in the background. Upfront flavors are of mint, lavender, and guava with a finish of cinnamon and wood spice. Recent batches have a burgundy label which denotes it is produced by Tio Rey.