Tasted at Kitana Kitten in NYC. Incredible bar but limited mezcal list (no big deal!) but they had this and I’ve been wanting to try it for a while. Obviously one of RC’s most reviewed and liked expressions. I found it really solid. I’m not the biggest Jabali drinker on its own and prefer it in ensembles, but this hits just right at 1AM in New York haha. Thicker in texture, fruit on the nose and that carries into the sip. A bit sugary and has some soapiness in the flavor profile as well. Nice touch of smoke and a funky, complex spirit that seemingly morphs with every sip. I always find it hard to describe Jabali mezcals and this one is no different! Nice grab!
Tasted at Employees only in NYC. Pretty solid Cuishe but felt a little thin in the flavor profile. A bit grassy, vegetal, and some caramel on the aftertaste. Mild burn, especially for what I’m used to from RC. Would get this again if I was out but would not purchase a bottle.
Another super solid, enjoyable release from Campanilla! Really enjoyed tasting and sampling all of these! This chino and Cuerno is a blend of two really fantastic expressions and it’s a bit hard to describe these because they are so different from one another, as well as from other types of mezcal I’ve had before. This one is a bit of lemonade on the nose, slightly fragrant, almost an apple juice note, strong smoke, and green vegetables. Most of these same flavors carry through onto the palate, not a big difference imo. Pink lemonade, jalapeño, strong smoke underlying, grape big league chew, some meatiness and earthiness from the cuerno. As I’m writing, I’m getting actually a little chocolately flavor like a barril coming through. Really enjoyable stuff and would definitely buy a bottle of this.
This was a really good bottle. The price point is fantastic for such a complex ensamble. However, the taste wasn’t as diverse as I imagined it would’ve been with this man magueys. With that being said, I found this bottle to be really good! For me this one tasted a bit darker, with more chocolate notes coming through, which I attribute to the barril. However, def some grassy/green notes from the karwinskii dominance here. Some perfumey notes on the back end. I really dig this bottle and would recommend
Gonna agree with Forpowder on the 5 star rating here. Damn, I really like this one a lot! I didn’t look at the percentage breakdown of the magueys until after my initial taste and was hit by the chino flavor first, which makes sense because it’s 40% of the ensamble. The chino flavor here is actually very reminiscent of a michoacan style chino, fruity like starburst with some underlying cigar smoke. The cuerno then comes through and brings in almost an americana style flavor profile and is a bit of a smoked meat style flavor profile. End of the taste and lingering flavor is that of the verde, a bit more green and sour. The longer you taste and the longer you sniff, the more it changes. Dynamic is a great word for this mezcal. As I’m writing this review, more of the smoke flavor is poking through– bbq style. This will probably be incredible once it airs out and ages more.
First time trying maguey Cuerno and this one is really cool! The experience from smell to taste is really complex and the flavor changes drastically as the taste goes on! The only other mezcal I’ve had that transitions in taste like this is maguey Carne from minas— the beginning is far different from the end. On the nose the initial whiff is very much like a Salmiana, green vegetables, jalapeño, sweetness but this one is different in that there’s almost a meatiness underlying in the nose. The palate starts off like many Salmianas I’ve had and follows the nose but it becomes more musty and meaty as the taste goes on. Ends back with the green and sweetness but with some
Floral tones mixed in. A bit mineraly and oily but extremely complex. Really, really enjoyed sampling this!
I remember I was at Semillon in Cabo the first time I tried Salmiana and I was immediately drawn to how different the flavor profile was. This verde brings me back to that tasting. This is really fantastic stuff. Thicker mouthfeel than many other Durango mezcals I’ve had and the nose is extremely fragrant, funky (like cheese), and vegetal. On the palate, I’m definitely getting some jalapeño, green pepper, mint, pine, and funk. Perfumey aromas and flavor. Almost a bit of artificial grape flavor poking through at times. The smoke is really balanced and there’s essentially no burn on this. Really complex and I’d expect that from how old the plant was at maturity. Love this!
This bottle typically retails for $120 but a Binny’s near me in Chicago had it as an “end of bin” sale for $80, so I was intrigued to give it a shot at that price point. I have to say I’m very pleasantly surprised! I dig this bottle. SLR-138 from 2021, so it’s a bit newer given how old some of the other batches reviewed are. I found this to be somewhat creamy in texture and tasted pretty green, which I was not expecting. Definitely some blue agave/tequila undertones which hit in the mid of the taste, but finishes with a really nice mesquite smoke flavor that lingers. Wouldn’t recommend buying at full price but I find that I’m always pleased when paying around $80 for a DM bottle
Received this as a gift last week and it unfortunately misses the mark. The barril flavor is faintly there but it tastes almost like a tequila with the lack of smoke and the aftertaste. Slight notes of chocolate, bbq, and greenness but it stops abruptly, i assume because it is watered down. I didn’t have high expectations going into this bottle, as I’ve always avoided the Paquera brand, and this fell right around where my expectations were lol I’d recommend spending an extra $20 and getting something worthwhile or spending $10 less and getting a solid espadin if this is the range you’re shopping in.
Solid but not worth a buy for the price. Received this one as a gift a few years ago and just realized I never reviewed it. This one is not good for a sipper on its own but tastes pretty good in a mezcal and tonic. I’m not really too big of a fan of the Leyendas brand selections, as I think they tend to be overpriced for the profile they present.
Review is for the bottle with Tepextate. Just had a pour of this over a client meeting— opted for only an oz since it was during “work” but wish I did 2 oz. I really enjoy gusto historico’s mezcals and have never had anything from Eusebio before. I really enjoyed this but don’t think I’d buy a bottle. Starts over very green and grassy from the cuixe. Not a ton of Espadin in the flavor profile which I liked but the tepextate is definitely in the finish. Solid!
Was really interested to try this one due to the addition of sotol and it being an Atenogenes Garcia bottle. I will say the cucharillo is a bit of a novelty, as the bottel says there was only a single plant of cucharillo added to the mix. It does add a slight lemony flavor to the mix but it’s not overpowering, which I really enjoy actually. This one tastes a lot like Atenogenes Madrecuishe. Very green, like green beans, and vegetal. A bit of sweetness and a slight burn towards the middle of the taste from the espadin peeking through. Really, really solid bottle! Drank about 1/4 of it and waiting for it to open up a bit more before diving back in.
Had this a while back before I really got into mezcal and it was eh. Just tried it again on vacation and it’s a really solid bottle for the price. The bicuish is mostly present on the aftertaste but helps to cut the burn of the espadin and contribute to the flavor profile. Somewhat fruity and just the right amount of complexity for the price point. It’s honestly hard to find an espadin that is produced in larger lots like this bottle that compares to this one.
Bought a couple birthday bottles and found this for $110 which is an absolute steal imo. I’m not always the biggest fan of Mexicano independently but really love how it adds to the barril here. Definitely a bit darker of a combo but it works perfectly. Grassy, soil and karwinskii greenness complimented very well with the perfumey/chocolate vibe of the Mexicano and it’s very harmonious. Thick and smooth, so pleased with this bottle!
Bcx02-19
160/182Tasted this one in Miami at Bakan in wynwood, solid selection there! The flavor here reminds me a lot of the Madrecuixe from Atenogenes, very green and vegetal and the smell is amazing on this one. Texture is really great too. A 2oz pour went very quickly lol
I was really intrigued by the 4 different karwinskii plants here but I’m not super impressed with this bottle yet. It has an interesting texture, not as smooth as I expected and a bit harsh with the burn– but not like how I get with Rey Campero products lol. The flavor profile so far reminds me a lot of the mezcalero 18 and 28 bottles, very tart and almost like root beer bottlecaps on the front of the palate. It’s changed a bit since I’ve opened it so I’ll revisit as always if it gets better as I drink it. It’s a solid bottle but I was hoping for a bit more complexity and earthy, greenness.
AMA-01
Bottle 165
Purchased this for a steal at $80! I haven’t had too many cupreatas so was definitely interested given the rawhide fermentation method. A very light mezcal in my opinion and not too bold, which makes sense given the lower abv in comparison to others. Light and floral on the beginning of the palate but follows with the funk and cheese flavor that others have alluded to. The rawhide/leather smell and taste is present throughout but not overpowering. I dig it and I’m happy to have the bottle!
Been wanting to try this bottle before committing to buying it at a local spot and I really enjoyed it. It’s 41% largo and the karwinskii is front and center on the palate. Really nice complexity, a bit of burn in the middle followed by a nice fruit finish. Never had becuela prior to this ensemble and it’s a nice touch! Also 30 years to maturity for that plant— wild! Really great stuff!
They brought this pour out to me by accident (ordered a different RM ensamble instead) but I wasn’t made about it! I’ve had this agave combo before but not the RM version and I enjoyed the clay aspect of this one.
ARMLT-03
Bottle 184/282
I found this one to be a bit more fruit forward and the tobala was a lot more present, which I don’t necessarily prefer but this was really smooth. I love RM because the taste is so rich in their mezcals and the smoothness for the abv is really remarkable and this was in line with that. Solid bottle.
Had a pour of this last night during dinner. Have had Mal Bien but not the alto before. Definitely a fruit bomb and the watermelon flavor is spot on. Some underlying cigar smoke similar to a chino and the Michoacán mezcals I’ve had in the past. Reminds me a lot of the La Luna chino and Bruto mixed together. Really solid 2 oz pour but don’t think I would buy a bottle when I enjoy a lot of other things Mal Bien does a bit more! Good stuff though!
