Tasted at ATLA in NYC and this was actually one of my favorite RC mezcals I’ve had. As others mentioned, I found the balance on this to be superb. The nose felt a bit more karwinskii forward, which is probably why I enjoyed it so much.

Big fan of Bicuixe and tasted this one in Paris at LouLou (would recommend that restaurant to anybody in the city). I’ve actually always enjoyed NETA destilados and feel like they should be rated higher on this page. This one is a green bomb, fruity and sweet as well. A bit of pine-ness as well on the nose. Complex with a fantastic mouthfeel and smoothness. This the kind of pour that you finish and then let settle in the glass hoping for another tiny lit sip to be left haha

Had this as part of a “create your own” flight at After in Chicago– solid mezcal selection but high prices. I really enjoyed this papalote. Guerrero cupreatas from 5S have all been solid IMO. That corn and herb nose was spot on. A slight burn but this went down smooth and felt a bit of a pastry, sweetness. Smooth, easy sipper. Always fun trying mezcal from outside of oaxaca.

Had the more recent release of this from The Dream of a River series– shorter wider bottle (no series number on those releases).
Batch- 220 liters, feb 2022
ABV 45.5
Tried this at Paloma in Santa Fe. First time having a pulquero pour and was really impressed and it was unlike anything I’ve had before so there was really no comparison. Reina is the queen, literally lol, so this was just layers of complexity and I wish I would’ve gotten more than a 2oz pour. Sweet, smoky, BBQ flavors, sugary aftertaste. A bit of a smarties type of flavor poking through. Thick mouthfeel and just really impressive stuff. Rezpiral is quickly becoming one of my favorite brands.

I tend to not be overly impressed by Rey Campero selections and this one is kind of in the middle of the pack as well. I’ve only had the 5S azul before and this one was far less complex and enjoyable. Sweet with a burn like most RC mezcals I’ve sampled. A bit of that tequila flavor backbone peeks through. I found it a bit muted overall and didn’t have many flavors poke out to me– I think I might have been the first person to order a pour of this in a while lol

Solid mezcal and limited production but nothing really overly impressed me with this one unfortunately. As others mentioned, the finish is rather hot, felt like an espadin burn a bit. The flavor profile is very similar to the espadin by the same producer/mixteca coleccion but with a bit more complexity in the profile. I’d recommend getting a pour of this if you find it at a bar but wouldn’t necessarily recommend purchasing a bottle.

Batch MXANRMZ14
Bottle 24/284
From the Edicion 3 of the Mixteca collection, not the edition 1. After reading the reviews from the edition 1, I was excited to grab this bottle of the edition 3. It’s the same mezcal as the edition 1 but was stored until it was bottled in 2022. Hefty price tag so I was hoping for more from this release. It’s pretty solid but I’m not blown away by the flavor profile. This feels like a very high end Espadin in terms of nose and flavor. Some slight stone fruit flavors and complexity on the nose. Flavor is heavy with a burn, vanilla, slight fruit flavor again, and a subtle smoke that peeks through. The viscosity is nice. Again, not a bad mezcal but I was definitely expecting more from the price tag. Given that it was only bottled in 2022, I’m not sure how much it will open up now that it’s uncorked but I’ll update if it changes in terms of flavor.

Never reviewed this but can’t be too much of a hater on it. I actually love the branding from Madre and the cuish adds a nice variation to a mixer level bottle. Not too bad of a sipper as well. Vanilla, sugary, slight vegetal but a bit of burn on it as well. I’d grab something else for the price point but the 200 ml bottle is worth keeping around for aesthetic purposes 🙂

Bought 28 when it came out and given that this one has been sitting unopened for quite a while, it’s essentially aged in glass as well lol solid release and paid less than $100 for the bottle so it’s hard to find a better ensamble for that price point. Very similar tasting notes to 28, smarties, root beer bottle caps, fruity flavors with some floral hints mixed in as well. The one gripe I’ve had about 28 and this one as well is that 2/4 of the agaves are karwinskii and I wish it tasted more karwinskii forward. Still overall a 4 star bottle in my opinion and fun to sip— interested to see how it evolves now that it’s open!

Pretty standard espadin but rating 4 stars for ease of drinkability, cost, and I just really like the variation of label art lol

Really solid espadin, especially for the price. Soft and not very harsh. 49% is a plus and definitely a bit more full bodied for an Espadin. Notes of vanilla, caramel, a bit of mint, and slightly vegetal. Good as a mixer too.

Catching up some old reviews. Bought this before I really got into mezcal and just opened the bottle back up and was appalled lol there’s not really a reason to buy this mezcal. There’s plenty of others that are better if you’re looking for a mixer. No need to get a 40% bottle. Pass on it.

Solid tepeztate! First and only time trying Cuentacuentos so far and I was pretty impressed with the flavor for the price point! Got lots of bell pepper flavors in this one and really enjoyed sipping it! Would def recommend if you can find it

Had my eye on this bottle at Moreno’s for a while and finally pulled the trigger on it today. I LOVE marteño maguey but it’s very hard to find outside of Minas so I naturally wanted this bottle for that reason. I am not really getting much marteno flavor in this bottle at the moment though. It tastes more like a very expensive tobasiche from Minas, which is unfortunate. Still very good but not getting those peanut flavor notes of the marteno and picking up more leathery, vanilla, and even floral notes too. The bottle has been sitting for a while so hoping it changes with time– again, still great but not at all what I was expecting from the flavor profile.

I really love anything I’ve tried from Real Minero and the Largo is somewhat of a staple from them. Bought this at Rosewood in Mayakoba while we were on vacation and paid way too much for it but downed it in 4 days lol really solid Karwinskii, green, bright, vegetal, but also a bit sweet too. Clay pot adds a beautiful texture and its so easy to sip, hence downing it so quick. Tastes like Minas.

I noticed this one peeking out from one of the shelves and when I got home had to do some research, as I’d never heard of it! Rakhal’s review made me super interested so, of course, had to go back today to purchase the bottle lol this is an incredible bottle! The nose is a bit different than the flavor profile. Right away definitely getting the green, vegetal aromas from the karwinskii along with the earthy, soil, wet leaves and some citrus aromas. The taste is complex and sweet but not overly sweet– musty and moldy with citrus and funk and I love it. Salinity is present but also can tell this one was distilled in a hybrid still, some metallic aftertaste from the still. From brief research, I didn’t see other brands that had a Candelillo mezcal in the US so definitely going to cherish this bottle lol

EDIT: coming back and adding a comment now that this has opened up for a few weeks. BUY THIS IF YOU CAN FIND IT. Wish I could rate over 5 stars but this is even better now that it’s opened up. WOW.

Interesting bottle. Very tepe forward and I’d like to know if this is a 50/50 split but I’d assume not. After finishing off the bottle im still not sure how I feel about it. The peppery notes of the tepe hit you first and there’s a but of tropical sweetness that follows slightly before returning back to the tepeztate for an aftertaste. I enjoy it but don’t know if I would buy again.

Ok I actually really enjoyed this ensamble, especially for the price point. I found the flavor to be not overly bold but not overly faint either. A very nice middle ground and good sipper. The karwinskii of the barril and Cuishe were overly present, which I appreciated. More green and vegetal with just a bit of backend complexity and burn from the Espadin. Won’t blow you away but you don’t need it to for what you can get this bottle for. Solid.

Found this to be solid in Cabo where mezcal selection isn’t abundant. Runs only about $60-$70 for a bottle and is solid as a sipper or mixer. Not overly complex but not very watered down either and can catch some nice fruitiness from the tobala. A bit of heat from the cupreata and espadin. Overall solid ensamble.

Got this at Binny’s. Tossed the bottle so forgot to grab the lot but I was somewhat impressed from this expression but would not buy it again, as there’s so much more from 5s I would spend $120 on instead! However, this one was funky with a burn. Barnyard funk was how someone put it and I love that. Felt a bit animalistic and dark and had a bit of a burn like an Espadin, as I tend to get from many Americanas. I love how long this one lingered in my mouth after the sips though and that kept me going back to my liquor closet for another pour