Recent reviews

Solid Mezcal for cocktails

Lote: ON1/2018 (by Onofre Ortiz)
This has got to be the best ‘bang for your buck’ mezcal I’ve ever had. It was $20…$20! Not sure if it was a sale, excess inventory, etc. But this is Miahuatlan deliciousness (and not refresacadora style either, which is news to me). An overall creamy and lactic taste is dominant. The bicuishe (woody and dry grass) goes so well with the classic buttery, sweet espadin notes. Super clean finish and well proofed. Got to give it a half bump in rating due to this amazing value.
PS: Emilio’s Warehouse in LA has a couple more cases of these. I’m loading up for sure next time I’m down there, so don’t tell too many people! 😉
Review #231

Nose: mmm plenty of fruit, lemon, pineapple, kiwi, lime, some yogurt, a bit of cheese. Really nice nose

Palate & Finish: continues into the palate. More sugared lemon, pineapple, sweet kiwi, salted melon, so much confectionery fruit. This is awesome. Moving into the finish is cheesy Parmesan, some menthol, Jalapeno peppers, mouth drying citrus

This is excellent stuff as Id expect from Delfino

Batch JAMC0524. ABV 48.5%

Nose: heavy clay influence, mulch, wet dirt, dried strawberries, I see the acetone others mention

Palate & Finish: lighter on front of palate than I expected. Some berries, sweet bell peppers, apples, mango. As we move into the finish, I get fig jam, red wine, a bit of clay, finish is spearmint, pineapple, slightly more fruity than I expected, caramel latte

This is great. Not like typical Mexicano for me but nice and fruity. Great batch

Lote: JAC00524
nose brown sugar, leather, pepper. Some cantaloupe melon.
Taste has more of a subdued clay taste compared to other expressions. To me there is a good duality between the sweetness and savory. I do get some of that classic a. americana notes as well.
Review #230

Lote ACR041-ESP Bottle 182/301 46.22% mezcalero Miguel Angel Cruz Rios. Sampled on 10/2024. Once in a while, a bottle comes along.That just changes your mind all about a agave species. I’ve always been a little disappointed with the espadin agave but this one’s completely different. Aromas out of the bottle are acetone candy with light. Smoke covering amazing fruit aromas of all different types. Some roasted some green and fresh like papaya. The flavors are such a amazing mix of just the right amount of light smoke. Mixed in with such, amazing fruits Papayas, mangoes, strawberries with that little bit of acetone over everything. More than anything, this reminds me of a very good Cupreata agave which is one of my favorites. And then there’s the mouth coating qualities, which just seemed to linger forever, carrying with it, roasted fruit and light smoke for a long time. This is one of the best deals in mezcal that i’ve come across in a long time.

Abv: 49.9% No batch info on the bottle.

Picked up this bottle straight from the palenque on a club weekend with Maguey Melate. Frankly all of Rodrigo’s expressions are top-notch. If I had more room in my suitcase, I would have bought the espadin, the tepeztate, the cuishe, and pechuga. I highly recommend trying all of these expressions.

The tobala`is very special though. Lots of bright fruit on the nose and sweetness as well as some typical floral notes. The flavors are also bright: citrus, apricot, and white peach. there is also something reminiscent of taffy and a bit of jasmine. Perfect heat and warmth on the palate. Great mezcal.

Lot#: RAMB202303 Bottle: 41 ABV: 50.7% Distilled: October, 2022

A fellow mezcal nerd let me have a generous pour from her bottle and I knew I had to track down a bottle for myself. K&L Wines had it on sale, and this expression does not disappoint. Jellybeans, green sawdust, and fresh fruit preserves on the nose. Flavor gets straight into that karwinskii sweet spot: green grass, caramelized fruit, hot black pepper, sweet root veggies, roasted agave, faint lactic notes and funkiness in the background, and sweet gum drops. The clay pot really comes through on this expression as well. Heat hits up on the roof the mouth as well as the tongue and lingers nicely. A pretty powerful destilado, so sip carefully and enjoy!!

Lot 040-A. 42% Alc.
The mezcalero for this bottle is Juan Conde.
Nose – Cheese. A nice cheese platter of Swiss and Blue Cheese. Creamy, sweet, and soft smoke.
Palette – Juicy, sweet like butterscotch, but still reminiscent of the pungent cheese. This cenizo has one of the smoothest finishes. It drinks like a funky sweet water with minimal amounts of smoke. Mouthfeel is great!

The price on this bottle and the drinkability give this mezcal four stars, without a doubt.

LOT: A22, DATE: 03/22, BOTTLE 900T, 45.4%, 200ml

Nose – Woody and musty – tobacco, wet cigarettes, wet earth, hay, grass, charcoal, and damp wood.

Palate – Heavy, dark and woody. A lot of lingering smoke. Campfire, mesquite, tobacco, rubber bands, papaya, guava, and bitter fruit like banana pith and grapefruit.

Finish – Becomes a bit earthy – peanuts, charred bbq crust, green bananas, coconut meat, and some dried-out oranges.

Very rugged. It’s tasty, but not my thing. A little too bitter and heavy on the smoke. However I also tried this separately after having something sweet, and the heavy-bitter flavors offset nicely within the palate.

Nose: this is unique for sure. Subtle herbal cheese, almost like Boursin, some nice floral elements, lavender, cream cheese, sesame seeds, vanilla beans, olive oil, such a subtle and delicate nose. Lovely stuff

Palate and finish: a clean entry of fresh bell peppers and cilantro cream cheese, the mouth feel is clean and herbal, mint, some basil, there’s some lemon and lime as you move toward the finish. Finish starts sort of sour with plenty of citrus, nice minerality sits with you for a while then grapefruit rind.

I think those who enjoy citrusy cheesy notes will love this. This is good for me but not my favorite profile The nose is terrific but palate almost too clean and straight to the point without the layers I hoped for.

Batch JATM0524 ABV 48.8%

Nose: nice and earthy, chocolate powder, cumin, tobacco, coffee grounds, a bit of tried leaves

Palate: continues on the palate, chocolate chest pie, almonds, espresso, I get a little pear and red fruits, some lighter notes as it sits but it remains earthy in an awesome way. Finish is burnt ends. Some herbs like sage and rosemary, a bit of raisin

This is terrific. What a well done profile, earthy yet balanced and slightly fruity. I love this

Baaack at it. This is tasty, but a bit harsh.

Lot CM/ES/02
Bottle 1846 of 2400
Avoid this Mezcal unless you like an acetone taste that overpowers any other flavors. Little to no smoke in the taste or nose.
Virtually undrinkable neat and you need a strong mixer (like V8 in a bloody Maria) to get this unpleasant Mezcal down.
There’s other, better options out there at this price point.

Lot CM-ET-0821
Bottle 020
A nice light Mezcal good for mixing and sipping as long as you aren’t expecting a complex taste. It has enough smoke to satisfy a casual Mezcal drinker or a novice. Light on the nose but do not smell from the bottle as the rubber stopper imparts a very plastic odor. The 90 proof is a good bonus for those who use this in a mixed drink.

Lot #M0014TO

I freely admit that I cannot discern the taste of the eastern slope dew imparting guava toasted peppermint with hints of concrete and backgammon as some people seem to taste when drinking various mezcals. I can say, with clarity, that after 30 or so mezcals, this stands out for a wonderful nose and flavor. Do I detect a a hint of strawberry cheesecake? Of course not. But it has all the wonderful smoky aspects that I am looking for – if you sample this herbal Tobala I hope you also enjoy. With all things…. Only one way to find out. Salud/Cheers/Kampai

Lote: JAT00524
Musty leather on the nose. Light burned caramel cream.
More leather, clay, minerality, nuttiness, on the taste with some ‘fizzy sprite’ texture. Only get some of that familiar tobala sweetness though. As mentioned below the earthiness and mustiness on the taste is a bit too much /overpowering on this one for me, and I don’t seem to get many of the great notes I’m used to w/ a tobala (this could easily be a different varietal). The aftertaste is pleasant though and overall this is interesting and wouldn’t be something I normally reach to. 3.25
Review #229

Really awesome Salmiana mezcal. Great mouthfeel. Citric zest and chile peppers. Orange peel. It is definitely not too hot as-is but cools off a bit if you let it sit open for a few minutes. Probably the best mezcal I’ve had from Guanajuato by far.

ILD-JAB-001
Bottle #509. 56.1% ABV.

Aroma – So many different aromas! Woody, chocolate pastry, vegetal, and smokey vanilla.
Palette – spicy cinnamon candy, pine, dark chocolate, leather, and a finishing note of cherry or plum. The Jabali tingles the tongue and it finishes smoothly. This is an awesome release from Maguey Melate I picked up in Rhode Island.

Vol. 3. Bottle 56, 49% ABV.
Aroma is a fruit bomb. Bright mango flesh, orange juice, fruit smoothie.
Palette is warm spice, mango and orange. There is a familiar layering note of turkey, but it takes a back seat to all the fruity flavors upfront. Mouthfeel is a bit thin, and the finish is spice, anise, medium alcohol burn.

This is a fun, fruity mezcal! I would share this with someone skeptical of mezcal.