Recent reviews

Bubble gum. Juicy fruit. It’s a good Mezcal but I’m personally just not that crazy about Mezcal that gives me this juicy fruit bubblegum flavor. After reading the other reviews I’m totally getting the cheesecake flavor that Johnny mentioned. I like it a lot more now!

I’m a big fan of Lupe Lopez. He’s a true master. Some of his old Clande bottles and newer Sotoleros bottles are some of my all-time favorites. This offering, while not one of his very best, still tastes delicious. It has his magic. Banana bread, baking spices, an aged port wine. This is beautiful, I’ve never had a bad expression from him.

This Sotol tastes exactly like root beer to me. Like exactly! I’ve never had a spirit taste this much like root beer. I’m not a big root beer fan but I’m really digging this one. It’s also got a lot of earth and incense flavors in it. It’s like drinking a root beer with a hippy in the middle of a dust storm at Burning Man. Hell yeah.

March 2023. This tastes to me more like what I expect Salmiana agave to taste like. It’s green and herbal and floral and tropical and absolutely delicious! Lemon verbena, lychee, jasmine, fennel seed, bay leaves, rambutan, fresh jalapeño. Every expression I tried from this brand was absolutely top shelf!

April 2023. It blows my mind that no one else found this one chocolatey. To my palate this is a chocolate bomb! Chocolate malt balls, chocolate ice cream, fig newtons, chocolate cake, and some really cool mushroomy flavor note that I dig a lot. This brand rocks!

January 2023 lot
Ok not trying to be a hater but I think after this bottle I’m done purchasing Rey Campero bottles. They are ok for the price but I’m never really impressed (besides the Chato) and the burn is always high on their releases. Happy to keep sampling pours in bars but yeah done buying the full bottle.

Got this for $90 which is a good price but it’s a very thin Madrecuishe. Def the acetone and marker nose like people have mentioned and it’s not a bomb of earthy greenness like many madrecuishe can be. Very muted overall. Some lemonade, soil, cedar flavor notes but it comes and goes pretty quick. Definitely nothing too bold about this and tastes almost watered down.

As always , I’ll update my review if the bottle opens up and improves but having a little buyers remorse I may need to drink away LOL

2022

Nose: piney, citrus, some herbal elements, maybe a bit of mulch, typical karwinskii for me

Palate: sugared citrus, lemon, tart mango, herbal, lemongrass, candied ginger, moving into the finish I get white pepper, bell peppers, and a leathery

Overall very good and at the price point I usually see it at I’d say it’s a great introduction to karwinksii. Just solid and balanced

Edition 1, 51.1% abv

Review #176: The nose has leather, clay, hay, earth, luxardo cherry, plum, chocolate, plastic ball pit, and unripe banana.
The palate has clay, leather, apple skins, unripe banana, smoked meats, bbq sauce, earth, plum, vanilla bean, dark chocolate, chipotle peppers, and rosemary.

A great clay distilled arroqueno. The clay is not too forward with this which i appreciate when I’m trying something distilled on that. There’s a lot of nice earthy and savory flavors alongside some more delicate fruit notes. It’s pretty soft overall while still maintaining decent complexity. My gripe is just wanting a little more potency in the particular flavors I’m enjoying from this. It’s still delicious, and i dont really base my ratings on price, but I have had many i enjoy more for half the cost so that’s a hard sell for me.

LOT S-10-ECMAB-21, 49.9%
Espadin, Coyote, Mexicano, Arroqueño, Barril

Nose – I get that Elmer’s glue someone mentioned. Green apple, acetone, arroqueno smell, clay pot aroma, tamarind.

Palate – forward on the Mexicano and arroqueno flavors with a hint of coppery barril. Roasted meats – chicken and honeyed ham, raisins, black pepper, overripe papaya, tamarind.

aroma: celery, herbs, bandaid smell, vegetal, eucalyptus, fresh, cocaine, dancing the line of isopropyl alcohol.. just clear of it.
palette: more of a boost, tasty fresh front, good finish good body, dashing of ripe fruit, cherry, early and end, bright mid swell. enjoyable. good legs coating glass.
via veladora

CBNT02. 58/73. 52.2% ABV.
Cabinet exclusive batch pick from Luis Enrique Juarez of San Agustin Amatengo.
Aroma is vegetal liked steam asparagus and pickled jalapeños. Smokey in the sense of gasoline while mowing a lawn, green and grassy.
Palette is spiced, asparagus, and herbaceous. There is an overall sweetness typing in all these flavors. Over time, I get more meatiness on the tongue, less vegetal. This is a fun mezcal and a wonderful add to the collection!

Lote 22, 1620/2800. 45.1% ABV.
Earlier lots reviewed on here sounded really interesting so giving this one a try. Aroma is orange peel, vegetal and cheesy. The palette is a mix of things; fruity like watermelon, or melon. There is a creamy, smooth mouthfeel that is complimented with funky notes of cheese, but doesn’t compare to San Luis Potosí. I’d love to try earlier batches of this and compare.

Lote 75. 03/2800, June 2023.
43.5% ABV
Nose is sweet with a soft pungent parmesan lactic note.
Palette is sweet agave, creamy lactic cheese, and the finish is reminiscent of milk chocolate chips. The mouthfeel is viscous, and the finish is smooth; little heat. I love this bottle for its price point so I rate this highly.

51.1% abv batch so probably same as Jam

Nose: citrus mainly lemon lime, slightly floral, lemongrass, briney, some stone minerality

Palate & Finish: a little more going on than nose lets on. Nice lemon lime, chalky texture, sweetness that reminds me of Gatorade, tart kiwi, cake icing and menthol moving into the finish. Finish is more minerality, stone, sweet bell pepper

I like this a lot. It’s not super complex but consistent with minerality and citrus fruit from start to finish. Really easy going and agreeable Tequilero

LOT CHI-221
Elegant and complex. light smoke, mixed fruit, long finish

It’s not a great price but wow it’s great.

Batch ES.03.23.CET. Wow. Incredible! Aromas of lemongrass, spearmint, molasses, grape soda, and a slight hint of a lactic note like the aroma of soft cream cheese as it wafts up from a hot bagel. The palate is briny and fruity. Notes of sea salt and crack pepper. Additional flavor notes of grapefruit, strawberry greens, hatch chiles, and sweet cream. Maestro Eusebio is one of my favorites in the Miahuatlán region and this batch is a total gem.

Lot DS01-TCC. Bottle 149/282. Citric aromas of fresh lime, orange, and white grapefruit. Additional aromas of jalapeno, white onions, asparagus, and garlic oil. The palate has some really interesting meat-adjacent notes, similar to a mustard-based BBQ sauce with Worcester sauce. Additional notes of bell peppers, charcoal, caramelized onions, and some sweetness like a reduced berry sauce that would be poured over a cheesecake. Also tangy papaya. This mezcal is upfront and present throughout the entire experience. It hits like The Sun Also Rises: clear and direct.

Batch EP0123. This is a phenomenal Espadin! It has aromas of lemon and pine, mixing with a chalky mineral element. The palate has some similarities to the Ortiz and Valente Garcia families that also produce in this small region of Miahuatlán. Notes of serrano peppers, fresh flowers, dryer sheets, chalky minerals, and this very sweet sugary bubblegum-like undertone. This is really nice and one that I’ll continue to reach for. A great session mezcal.

edition 03, 2020

June 2023 52.9%
Nose is tropical, earthy, green peppers. It’s very rustic, cantaloupe, sweet, earthy, & baked goods. Very complex mezcal that changes the more you drink it. Definitely one of the best Campanilla offerings.