Vago Mexicano – Aquilino

Lot A-08-M-17 (August 2017), 51.9%
Nose: Smoky sweet – a bushel of fresh peaches drizzled in cream and peppery mesquite barbecue sauce. Aromatic herbs swirl above, including paprika, pine needles, bay leaf, eucalyptus, juniper berries and olive. Mulch and hot sand lend some earthiness. Quite alcoholic as well.

Palate: More barbecued peaches, now with an earthy roasted agave undertone and a surprising dollop of cream. Tangy-sweet pickled chiles then lead into lavender, paprika and pine needle. Medium-thin body.

Finish: Peach skins, sweet cream and smoke. Mesquite barbecue sauce returns in a bit, then comes an intensely herbaceous tail of bay leaf, cedar, pine, rosemary, anise and paprika. Medium-long length.

Never had a mezcal as powerfully herbaceous as this one. The profile brings to mind a bouquet garni or herbal barbecue rub more than a medicinal digestif, and the peaches and cream so dominant on the nose are more like sweeter counterpoints on the palate. Lacks a bit in development, but it makes up for that with staying power on the finish.

LOT A-11-DV-M-13, 90/10 blend, 49.4%, fermented in July 2013.
From Moreno’s Store in Chicago. Talk about a living mezcal. Got home in the afternoon and was anxious to try. Forgot I’d hardly eaten all day. Smelled like rubbing alcohol. What can go wrong, right? Within seconds, synapses started short-circuiting and the peripheral hallucinations got my attention. This mezcal scolded my arse for being careless. Barn funk, Oma’s armoire, wet dirt, minerals in the nose and taste the spiciness and fire roasting your tongue.
A lot more simpatico and forgiving after an offering of pastor tacos.

lot A-37-M-14, the legendary october ’14 90/10 blend. scoured the internet based on the reviews for this particular batch, and after much ado found a store that had it. initial impressions upon opening skewed towards underwhelmed but it’s settled into itself considerably. fragrant, sweet, and spicy. a touch thin on the palate and medicinal on the finish. 4 stars.

lot A-08-M-17. 100% mexicano. 51.9%. peaches and gingerbread, buttery undertone that gives this immense richness. gets a bit floral as it opens up. a hint of maple syrup kicks in during the long, sweet and earthy finish. radiant warmth as it goes down. very autumnal. mel torme singing “agave roasting on an open fire.” not particularly complex, just stupid delicious. 5 stars.

The 90/10 Mexicano/Espadin blend of this mezcal from October 2014 is some of the best mezcal I’ve ever had. It’s hot with some notes of lemon, pepper, and wildflowers. This Oct 2014 release is an easy 5-star. The 100% Mexicano from January 2016 is more of a 4 star mezcal. It’s still great. I don’t use the 4 star review lightly. At 52.1% ABV, this is quite laidback and relaxed. I’d like to try some of the other straight Mexicano releases that Aquilino has made to compare this one. For me, the 90/10 blend is a bit more complex and has more bite. Both lots are great and worth trying.

One of my all-time favorite mezcals, in particular the 90/10 blend of Mexicano and Espadin from Aquilino Garcia Lopez, distilled in October 2014. This is a hot mezcal at 50.2% ABV and it’s dangerously tasty. It’s very bright on the nose with floral notes and subtle earthiness. There are bursting flavors of roasted agave, vanilla bean, cotton candy, lemon, pepper, and sage. This was a fairly large batch (for mezcal) at 841 liters so there are quite a few bottles out there.

The other Mexicano I’ve had is 100% Mexicano from January 2016, lot A-01-M-16. This Mexicano is delicious but does not have the complexity of the aforementioned ensamble; it’s a 4 star for me. It’s soft with a finishing bite, floral with light fruit.