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Ben P
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Mezcal and Rum lover from NC
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La Luna Tequilana

Jan 14, 2024

Lot 69 ABV: 48.51%

Nose: get that new car smell, lemonade, classic dry leather from Michoacán

Palate: more lemonade, tangy mango, all sweet and sour fruits, tobacco and leather on the back end. Finish may be my favorite part. Subtle limeade and herbs, bell peppers, more citrus

This is good but not overly complex and interesting. I enjoyed having a bottle as it was easy to reach for and sip on. Reasonable price point also reflects the profile and is competitive.

Alipus San Luis

Jan 14, 2024

47.1% ABV lot SLR009/17

Nose: Full of Kiwi candy, like mashed up kiwi, grape, melon rind, very confectionary, tangy orange

Palate & Finish: more grape and kiwi, bitter orange, excellent slate powder minerality here that sort of dries the mouth like tobacco, grilled peppers into the finish. Finish is blast of grape candy, cinnamon and burnt melon

Really solid stuff. This was a sample but I kind of want a bottle now. It’s got a great balance of fruit and minerality. Easy to sip. I’m a fan. It probably sits at a 3.75 for me but price point pushes it to 4.

Maguey Melate Tepextate – Hermanos Martinez

Jan 5, 2024

Nose: lime, pine, brine, herbal for sure, basil, a little mint, there’s some nail polish

Palate and Finish: very floral and herbal for me. Some great citrus lemon lime and unripe mango notes then spa herbs, lemongrass, sage, hint of rosemary, then it gets a bit floral potpourri and hibiscus. Finish continues that and does it well for me. A nice subtle let off of the herbs and rest nicely with the floral notes.

I understand what others may consider off notes on this but find it a fun adventure of the palate. It may be one of the most floral and herbal agave spirits I’ve had. I reach for it regularly as due to the enjoyable and approachable profile. Great first batch for the brothers, look forward to trying them as they progress in the future

Mal Bien Sierra Negra – Ramos

Jan 5, 2024

Batch 0520ER

Nose: green cantaloupe, apple cider vinegar, green apples, limes, green peppers and celery

Palate and Finish: sugared citrus like lemon lime and a bit of orange, a get a bit of kiwi or mango skin before it moves to more tobacco, leather into the finish. Finish is tart and dry. Eucalyptus, leather, lemons, and mesquite as it sits

I enjoy this overall, just an easy sipper for me. Solid as expected with the Ramos brothers

Derrumbes Michoacan

Dec 30, 2023

ABV : 44.9%

Nose: citrus, lime, orange, funky melons, leathery tang

Palate and Finish: bitter grapefruit, briney, salted veggies, a moment of honeydew, I get some herbs lemongrass, mint, cilantro. Finish is more citrus, light melon, minerality and slate

Palomas Mensajeras Alto

Dec 28, 2023

Nose: nice tangy notes, oranges, limeade, rindy and leathery undertones

Palate: wow this is terrific, mango creamsicle, delicate and citrus, herbs like lemongrass and sage, slate minerality moving toward the finish. Finish is white pepper, cinnamon, some minerality, and charred lime. It’s a long one and as it sits it almost becomes creamy lime. Love it

This is my favorite of the Palomas and probably one of my favorite I’ve tried. It has the leathery and citrus notes I expect from an Alto but not overpowering. They are integrated well with some other fruit and minerality present.

This sample was provided to me with no strings attached. The above is my honest review.

Palomas Mensajeras Chino

Dec 22, 2023

Nose: Fresh laundry and lemon cucumber water at first but that fades off quickly, rotten melons, dried mangoes, charred grapefruit

Palate & Finish: Tangy mango, under ripe kiwi, chili covered citrus, some old honeydew, then a bit of earth before moving into the leather. Finish is tobacco and grilled peppers, followed subtle cantaloupe that sticks with you for a while.

This is more earthy than many Cupreata I’ve had but I really enjoyed it, especially on the second pour. Finish is brief and fleeting but not as hot as some of the other Palomas reviewed. I’m a fan of this one.

Palomas Mensajeras Mexicano

Dec 22, 2023

Nose: Lemon lime at first, dry tangy leathery, wet clay, figs, cocoa (as it sits the dark notes fade)
Palate & Finish: grapefruit, plenty of white pepper, grilled jalapeno, rotten wood, old melon, quickly gives way to caramel, cocoa, chocolate dusted almonds, soil. Finish is messy, espresso briefly before the white pepper and minty herbs set in. Stays hot.

The nose on this is awesome and the front of palate keeps it going. It may be that the front is so nice I have higher expectations for the finish.

This sample was provided to me. The above is my honest review.

Palomas Mensajeras Chino, Alto, Mexicano

Dec 22, 2023

Nose: Fresh lime, slightly grassy, like herbal limeade, mulch and wet mud underneath

Palate: Fruity cantaloupe melon at the front gives way to lemonade, mulch, tangy leather, honey peppers. Finish is a bit of brine but gets hot and peppery fast then sort of burns off.

Nose is subtle but solid, front of palate great and finish is fine. The Cupreata shines through a ton for me on the palate. Good mezcal

This sample was provided to me. The above is my honest review.

NETA Espadín Capón – Hermógenes Vásquez

Dec 16, 2023

Batch: ESPHMG2104 ABV: 47.5%

Nose is so much fruit, ripe strawberries, blueberry icing, honeydew, and a bit of ripe banana. There’s a cream cheese lactic thing going on too.

Palate: continuation of palate, ripe juicy fruit, distinctly mango and berries for me. A bit of sweet and sour lemon turns to tangy bbq as it moves to a mineral back palate. Mesquite, tobacco, and burnt grass on the finish. Charred peppers. Some bitter graphite that sits for a while on a longish finish.

This is awesome, I love a good combination of fruit and minerality. Glad to have a bottle.

Lamata Ensamble Tamaulipas

Dec 9, 2023

50.4% abv

Nose: celery salt, white onion, vinegar, like fresh made salsa, salted seafood

Palate: the similarity this profile has to red curry is wild, shrimp chips, savory, garlic, red salsa. Finish is more garlic and onion, some fish sauce, mustard.

Would I reach for this often? No. But I appreciate it so much. Such a well integrated and balanced mezcal with a unique profiles.

Bozal Borrego

Dec 7, 2023

Batch 000117

Nose: lime, petrichor, vinegar, pineapple juice

Palate: cumin, cinnamon, savory Some lime and lemon. Leading into finish is ton of citrus. Finish gets a bit minty and herbal. Mineral, Hot peppers

This is fine. Good without much depth. I hoped for a bit more with the lamb shank but it doesn’t feel like that adds much.

Maguey Melate Ensamble – Lorenzo & Tomas Virgen

Dec 4, 2023

Nose: Tropical bubble gum, banana, puke, dentist office, cheesy, cheesecake, up close there is so much fruit and strawberry kiwi
Palate & Finish: More tart strawberries, banana runts, stringy mango, mint toothpaste, leatheriness, herbal lemonade, mint green tea. Finish is blue cheese, dental clean freshness, licorice, very dry and chalky, mango kombucha, tepache

I had to spend some time with this bottle and it thankfully mellowed as it stayed open. Tons of artificial fruit, some herbal menthol, and lemonade leathery tang. The craziest part about this bottle to me was the nose. When opened from a few feet away it smells like unpleasant butyric acid, but within about a foot it would shift quickly to bubble gum and strawberry kiwi. Wild! When Im in the mood for something unique I find myself reaching for this one. Fun stuff but not every day.

El Jolgorio Cenizo (A. Karwinskii)

Dec 4, 2023

Edition 8 – 52.1%

Nose: Mustard seed, cedar and sand wood, pine needles, mesquite bbq, TJs spicy limeade, underneath it all there’s some soft vanilla and honey suckle
Palate & Finish: Fruitier than I would expect, lemon iced pound cake, soured mangoes, sugared grapefruit, orange juice, sweet bell peppers, celery, lime, then more grassy, burnt herbs, ash. Finish is BBQ pellets, tobacco, burnt rind, more lemon lime, damn it goes a long time and becomes more espresso bean like as it sits

Awesome example of some great Karwinskii. I love how it combines the citrus fruit, some classic pine with some herbs. The kind of pour that leaves you wanting to try another sip to see what pops out.

Maguey Melate Cupreata – Benigno Sánchez Gatica

Nov 28, 2023

Nose: Bananas, Papaya, mango pith, hard candies, mesquite, burnt banana leaves, freshly cleaned carpet, figs

Palate & finish: Mango and passionfruit up front, grapefruit juice, this stuff is incredible, melon, then tangy lemonade and leather, lavender, stone and slate moving into the finish. Finish is terrific. Tart custard and citruses, some cumin, minerals, clean asphalt, old plastic (like Jam mentioned) but in the best way possible, basil, rosemary

This is excellent. Love this stuff and wish I had a full bottle.

Mal Bien Papalote – Sonido

Nov 19, 2023

48.3% ABV

Nose: light tropical fruit. Tart Mango, coconut, kiwi, green peppers, some tangy citrus

Palate: starts out with creamy mango, papaya, soft fruits, coconut flakes. Moves toward more earthy, cumin, and leathery. Some slate and spice. Then on the finish I get a bit of chocolate and more leather. Herbal peppermint and cinnamon lingers for a bit.

Good stuff. Not mind blowing but complex enough and a great example of Papalote.

Creador Lumbre + Espadin

Nov 12, 2023

Batch JAEN112.

Nose: earthy, mineral, soil, some underlying vanilla tones, marshmellow

Palate: buttery notes others mentioned, powdered sugar, vanilla, perfectly ripe honeydew, sweet mango cream, coconut. Finish brings a bit of berry, same citrus bitterness, lemongrass, vegetal elements.

Really nice. For me the Lumbre on its own wins the group but this is a solid and crushable ensamble. Where the others felt driven at times by the clay this one was not. Good stuff.

This sample was provided to me. Notes and review are my honest opinion.

Creador Espadin Capon

Nov 12, 2023

JAEC1122

Nose: soft pears, more cherry, wet leaves, confectionery sugar

Palate and Finish: more mineral than the nose would suggest, slate, charred veggies with a bit of honey, roasted peanuts. Finish comes full circle to the nose. Powdered sugar, more rock, soft pear texture, a bit of tobacco at the very end.

Truthfully I didn’t love this the first time I tried it but I saved half my sample and round two it’s really nice. A ton of layers going on and a really nice finish that has you reaching for more. Lovely

This sample was provided to me. The above notes and review are my honest opinion.

Creador Mexicano

Nov 11, 2023

Batch JAME1122

Nose: cream cheese icing, pineapple, tart cherries, subtle minerality underneath, mulch

Palate: cherry, fig jam, malted milk balls, back half is really unique, plenty of earth too, like someone spilled orange cream soda in topsoil, funky plum pudding, tons of clay softness in mouthfeel. Finish is cough syrup, licorice, fig pudding, mineral, baking spices

I really enjoy this. It’s unique complex and interesting. While the lumbre is approachable this is a bit more thought provoking and more of a mood pour for me. Solid.

Sample provided for me. This is my honest review and tasting notes.

Creador Lumbre

Nov 11, 2023

Batch JALU1122

Nose: nice earthiness, cup of americano, soil, little mango underneath

Palate and Finish: definite clay influence but in a straight forward crisp way, moss, more soil, a flash of brighter tart fruits like pineapple or kiwi, then chili mangoes, brown bananas in chocolate. Finish is peppery, spice, mint, crushed stone

Excellent stuff. The clay is there but not overpowering, it’s really nicely balanced. Complex but still approachable.

This sample was provided to me. The thoughts and tasting notes are entirely my own.

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