Nose has wet concrete and vanilla. Nice mouthfeel with a flavor that follows the nose. Finish is a bit astringent and has a band aid note that I find in some Islay Scotch.

Lot AA-32
Restrained nose, floral and wet stones. In the mouth it’s round and honeyed. The finish is short and tannic. There’s none of the vegetal notes I expect from a Tepextate. Pleasant, but somewhat simple and atypical

Lot: BA0020PE(2)

Nose: Wet stones, tropical fruit, citrus
Palate: Starts sweet then a spice attack that goes a bit bitter.
Finish: The spices resolve into anise and ultimately finishes rather ashy

Lot 00420

Wet stones, cured meats, and cream cheese on the nose. Starts similar on the palate but then the sweet, floral tobala appears before a medium finish that’s just a little ashy. Not your typical tobala, for good and bad

Lot PAZ-024

A little minerality, a little citrus, some agave sweetness, a bit minty vegetal on a smooth finish. Round and balanced. It’s delicous and easy to sip but perhaps a bit boring compared to mezcals that reach for extremes.

Lot: DBY28/21
Wet stones on the nose. Citrus and vanilla frosting on the palate. Smoke comes in on a medium short finish. Not bad for the price but not particularly memorable

Lot 27 Bottle 46/180
Previous notes are right on
Nose is mostly cream cheese but with some milk chocolate underneath.
Taste adds some grassy notes and minerals. Great mouth feel, not particularly sweet.
Medium finish that brings in some light spice and fades gracefully.
Not attention grabbing but delicious.

Lot: XJ-08
Modest noise of sweet citrus. Rich, round cooked agave on the palate with some minerality. A short clean finish. This is unmistakenly an Espadin mezcal with no off flavors but ultimately just too gentle and polite for me with nothing that grabs my interest.

Lot: 18-SGL-ESP-2
Batch: 779/1329

Soft, enjoyable mezcal. Spice, cream cheese, cooked agave on the nose and palate. A bit of minerality in the short finish. One of the easiest to drink mezcals I’ve tried.

Nice upgrade from the normal Vida. Some candied orange peel that keeps this from being just a smoke bomb. So many mezcal cocktails seem built to balance Vida’s smoke and they’re not balanced with ‘cleaner’ pours. The de Muertos smoke is still a bit harsh to me neat, but I think it will mix very well…

Lot J-04-E-20

Tropical fruit and salt on the nose. Palate adds in spearmint and cooked agave. Wet stones on a hot medium finish

Lot 25, May 2016

Grapefruit and wet stones on the nose. Cooked agave and some piney herbs join in the mouth. The sweet agave goes a bit caramel on a medium finish.

Lot 012019

On the nose a bit shy but lemon peels, vanilla, and wet stone come through. Taste follows the nose. Full, unctuous mouth feel. Finish starts with a bite, medium sweet finish.

Lot 24

Wrapped tight with minerals, cantaloupe, and juicy fruit gum up front. White pepper comes in late before a finish that goes a bit ashy. A lot going on for a bottle at this price. An extra half star for value

Lot E07 E20

Nose is a bit shy but full of minerality and maybe some roasted pepper. Mouth feel is really nice, plenty of body but still light enough to dance. A little sweetness to balance the minerals, vanilla, maybe some caramel, some fruit of in the distance. Finish is nicely balanced and fades gracefully but not super long. Well balanced, easy to drink, but nothing really stands out for better or worse.

A bit dry and closed. A nice creamy lemon note throughout and minerals in the finish. Kept hoping it would open up show more.

Batch VGEN01
Bubblegum, flowers, and stones on the nose – dryer sheets is dead on. Palate follows the nose. Finish is long and pleasant resolving into a lingering impression of crushed stone.

Lot 00218

Nose: Snow peas (nicked that but it’s dead on), bell pepper, wet stones. Adds some cream cheese frosting on the palate. Jalapeno and minerality na medium finish.

Easy drinking. Lightly floral and mineral on the nose. Nice cooked agave on the palate. Medium finish that adds some earth.

Lot A-02-C- 20
Banana esters, caramel, and mint on the nose. Sweet cooked agave, juicy fruit gum, and a nice heat on the tongue. Earthy mint comes in on the finish.