BATCH TXS-4 2021, 48%, BOTTLE 54, 200ml

Nose – Light, vegetal and earthy; lemon-scented hand soap, very faint grass, mushrooms, wet asphalt, and some fresh produce.

Palate – Bright, acidic and hot! A brilliant hit of citrus; ripe oranges, jalapeños, green peppers, and a lot of honey.

Finish – The acidy wanes off into a mellow bittersweetness; orange rind and agave syrup.

Fantastic! A little hot to start, but absolutely enjoyable when it airs out. It’s boozy and robust, so unfortunately its abrasiveness pegs it down a notch. Another stellar surprise from Salvadores, classic Tep if I do say-so myself!

BATCH: MIA-B2002US 2020, 47.13%, 200ml
Antonio Cortés Aragón

Nose – A sharp, fresh and natural sweetness. Fresh cut grass, peanuts, soap water, vegetable greens, gas fumes, and fresh produce.

Palate – Bright, tangy and mellow. Ripe mandarins, sweet ginger candy, coconut, and those sugar-coated orange gummies from the grocery store.

Finish – A little darker and deeper after the sweetness. Grapes, raisins, white pepper, and some mesquite with a little bit of a burnt taste, like a sweet and tangy bbq sauce.

Very good! This is tasty and mellow; a perfect non-abrasive sipper. If anything to criticize, it might be a little thin, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Batch: 007 2022, 45.3%, 200ml

Nose – Funky, briny, and dirty. Curry, peanuts, wet wood, old attic, raisins, ginger, and mango.

Palate – Floral, tart, and a little acidic. Ginseng green tea (Arizona), Worcestershire sauce, grass, lemon, honey, anise, root beer, and some sugar cane.

Finish – A nutty fruitiness. Pears, Jasmine tea, licorice, and some bittersweet nuts.

Good! This possesses a very interesting and robust, flavor and aroma. It’s very funky and savory; tastes like a sauce. A bit spicy and peppery too, it reminds me of sipping a blanco tequila.

Lot 01/19, 47%, Pedro Hernández

Nose – Fresh, soft, and sweet. Bubblegum, baby powder, fresh cut grass, lemon, cream cheese, and some permanent marker.

Palate – Tangy, sour, and acidic. Tamarind, grapes, rotting mangoes, some grass, passion fruit and ripe oranges.

Finish – Dark, bittersweet and smoky. Barbecue sauce, super-dark chocolate, prunes, mango pit, and some pineapple.

Very good! Delicious, it tastes deep and tropical. Pretty good value play to serve as a sipper or to sample a different agave varietal.

SERIES 7, 51%

Nose – Fresh and vegetal; pine, peppermint, musky wood, wet earth, and some funky notes like coconut, glue, and cheese.

Palate – Tart, funky, earthy, sweet, and a little briny as well; mushrooms, oranges, pineapple, wheatgrass shots, green juice, chlorine, and some sweet dirt – kind of like when you don’t fully wash off all the dirt when rinsing fruit.

Finish – Very mild; honey, agave syrup, and some very mild jalapeños.

This is good! Grab it if you have the chance! Fantastic flavor. Highly recommended for Mexicano fans, a lot of the tartness and acidity here! A hot start but a very mild and enjoyable body and finish.

SERIES: 5 2019, 48.1%

Nose – Tart, sharp, and sweet. Earthy and floral; springtime. Peaches, honey, lavender, sugar, wet grass, some lumber, and so much agave!

Palate – Rich, savory, and smoky. Plums, barbecue sauce, caramel, dark chocolate-covered raisins, and some ripe grapes.

Finish – Funky, smoky, and bittersweet. Raisins, grapefruit, and charred bbq bits.

Very brash! In the earlier sips I wasn’t really feeling this. But after a few more and letting it air out, it became really delicious! Very deep and complex. A little hot and a bit smoky. This is your quintessential Mezcal; hot and heavy, a roadside gem. Potentially higher score later down the road if this relaxes a bit in the bottle.

LOT#: YJ06-21, 48%, BOTTLE#: 2422/3000, Wild, 375ml

Nose – Tart, sweet, grassy, and slightly metallic. Peaches, apples, coconut, and fresh-scent laundry detergent.

Palate – Vegetal, savory, and a bit of minerality and spice as well. Cinnamon, teriyaki sauce, jasmine tea, hoisin sauce, some smoke like charred hamburgers, and a touch of ripe oranges.

Finish – Tart and savory. Anise, margarine, and something smoky and sweet, like Peking duck.

Interesting flavors! I was searching for a value find and hoped this was gonna be a sleeper hit; almost but not quite. It’s fine by all means… it’s wild, very approachable and definitely tasty, but I wish it was a bit more impressive. All the flavors just don’t jive to me. Very hot and kind of thin. To be fair it was a fresh bottle, so I might have to revisit this later for an improved score.

LOT#: YJ17-20, 48%, BOTTLE#: 01828/10000, 200ml

Nose – Funky and sweet. Tamarind, grapes, raisins, old socks, and a bit of some permanent marker.

Palate – Hot and tangy. A bit floral and savory. Coconut water, barbecue sauce, and fresh pineapple.

Finish – A rich bittersweetness. Macadamia nuts and red grapes.

Not bad. I wouldn’t overlook this if options are limited. A little hot, but can be enjoyable.

LOTE: HaL21 2021, 48.6%, BOTELLA: 153, BATCH B

Nose – Mellow tropical funk. Cottage cheese, yogurt, pineapple, some bright citrus like oranges, and some faint chlorine to round it out.

Palate – Bright fruity citrus; a nice tangy sweetness. Orange juice, Cuties (mandarins), mangoes, ripe fuji apples, cilantro, honey, and some sweet sushi-grade ginger. A very punchy flavor profile. Mango chutney and hoisin; almost like an Asian-tropical sauce.

Finish – Tangy, sweet, and subdued. Tampico, pineapple juice, and some passion fruit bubble gum. So good.

This is amazing. A unique and enjoyable flavor. Mouthwatering and an instant favorite. A rare 5-star from me. Seriously, track this down if you can. Can’t stop sipping!

LOTE 98, 47%, 375ml

Nose – Cheesy and sweet; vegetal with some funk. Produce-section, cilantro, oranges, almond, vanilla, then comes some funk in the form of cream cheese, yogurt, and a bit of permanent marker.

Palate – Tangy and fruity; very agave forward. Ginger ale, agave syrup, sweet and sour sauce, ripe oranges, some bubblegum, and a touch of Mcdonald’s barbecue sauce. Also there was a bit of heat to this one on the initial sips!

Finish – A bit spicy but subdued with a touch of bittersweetness. Chili tamarind candy, sugar cane, ginger, and ripe banana peels to soften the backend.

Good! So much blanco tequila vibes from this. Supposedly the piñas were oven-roasted rather than smoked in a fire pit, and it shows. The typical earthiness and smokiness that is unique to Mezcal is a bit lost on this one. Though it’s still very smooth and enjoyable nonetheless.

LOTE 100, 46%, 375ml

Nose – Very pungent and sweet. Sharp cheddar cheese, pool water (chlorine), grass, hobby glue, coconut, and some nutty funkiness like almonds. This harkens alike to a boozy piña colada.

Palate – Musty, tastes old; very rustic. Sugar cane, licorice, lots of funk, raisins, wood chippings, McDonalds bbq sauce, citrus chewing gum.

Finish – Super funky. Fish oil, dark bitter grapes, and some dry tanginess like orange rinds.

Very interesting flavor. Might come off as a bit abrasive. Fun to try, but a very acquired taste. It’s interesting to notice the funkiness of a clay pot distillation in this whole Don Amado series, and this one is no exception!

LOT. 01R 20 0900, 45%

Nose – Agave forward but very confectionary and sweet; baking spice, caramel, fresh bread, cookie dough, fruity melons, and some gasoline to tickle your nose a bit.

Palate – Warm, sweet sips that remind me of baked goods and dessert; sugar cookies, sweet nuts, like macadamia, some brown sugar, vanilla, and honey.

Finish – The cookies continues; butterscotch, dulce de leche. And some ripe fruit; bananas, cherries, fuji apple.

A simple, sweetish, and very mellow spirit. Great for evening sips, and stellar in cocktails. Predictable, but perfect for when you need to take a break from the complexities of authentic Mezcal. I enjoyed this.

ESPTBZ 06-21, 50.9%, BOTTLE 177/219

Nose – Faint and mellow; laundry detergent, wet earth, terra cotta, pine, cleaning soap, and the tiniest bit of cheese.

Palate – Plenty of minerality; mineral water and dishwashing soap residue. It’s also a bit buttery and fatty; fish oil. And there’s some sweet funkiness to round it out, like tamarind and orange rinds.

Finish – Seafoody; sweet crab legs dipped in butter, cream soda, cilantro.

Good, interesting flavor. There’s a funkiness that took a while for me to put my finger on. Textbook clay pot. Air it out and it will begin to taste amazing as it opens up.

BATCH: MIA-T2003US, 46.39%, 200ml
José Díaz Bustamante

Nose – Vegetal, earthy, and slightly sweet. Wet wood, fresh cut grass, faint gasoline, cucumbers, and some produce-section aromas.

Palate – Hot and tangy; has a bit of a punch, but not too spicy! Bubblegum, a burst of citrus, ripe oranges, banana, a little rose water, and some vegetal notes of green peppers and jalapeños.

Finish – Deep, rich, and fruity. Passion fruit, grapes, apples, fruit punch.

Fantastic, really surprising pour! Very tasty and so much going on in the palate. The layers of flavors just coalesce. I’d say on par with Jolgorio’s expression. La Medida has been a sleeper, and continues to impress me with their offerings.

LOTE: 1-2021, 43%, 200ml

Nose – Sweet and very mellow. Pool water, chlorine, grapefruit, dry erase marker, wet dirt, and some cream.

Palate – Tangy. The initial sips are a burst of burnt citrus, plus some oranges, tamarind, ginger, and some smoke.

Finish – A bit bittersweet; dark chocolate, tobacco, cigarette butts.

Good value! The smokiness lends itself to being great for cocktails. Decent sipper in the low end, but lacks a tasty punch to hold its own. Great messaging and branding; awesome label art!

Batch: Oct. 4, 2017, 48%, 731 bottles

Nose – Faint but sweet, springtime air; grass, cheese, honey, and some glue.

Palate – Leathery and rich; dark chocolate, red wine, cacao, grapes, ripe fruit, and a touch of citrus.

Finish – The deep richness continues; bbq pulled pork, ripe mango. A bit savory.

Great! Very rich in texture and taste; full bodied. This really grew on me as the sips progressed.

LOTE 99, 46%, 375ml

Nose – Grassy and creamy. Soft cheeses, brie, ricotta, cream cheese, and some very earthy tones of fresh cut grass, morning dew, and wet dirt.

Palate – Warm and earthy, with a tinge of citrus. Broccoli, grapefruit, orange rind, some soil, and some dryness like rubber bands to round out it out.

Finish – Mellow, vegetal, and dry. Tonic water, and some creaminess in the form of heavy whipping cream.

Good and enjoyable, it’s a great expression of Tep flavor-wise. I just wish it packed more of a punch. It’s very mellow and serves as a good sipper. But I think seasoned Mezcal heads would be yearning for something more… Anyways I’ve found these Amado 375s serve as a great way to sample different Magueys without having to commit to a full bottle. I’ve found it to be very educational to grab a few and compare the differences.

LOTE 92, 46%, 375ml

Nose – It’s grassy and vegetal, but sharp and sweet. Glue, gasoline, and something creamy (milk), make for a funky and intoxicating nose.

Palate – The initial sips were bright and acidic, almost sour; lemon curd. But when it mellowed out and my palate adjusted, it actually became quite grassy; celery, cucumbers, something dry, like rubber bands, and some fresh fruit, like oranges.

Finish – Very vegetal with a lingering sweetness; cilantro, green-juice smoothies.

Very good, it’s sweet and vegetal. Like drinking a salad with a sweet vinaigrette. Great availability for a clay pot distillation. It reminds me of a Yuu Baal Madrecuixe I tasted recently. Very grassy and earthy. And I would agree that these sit at about the same level to give you an idea of what should be expected. It’s mid-range but punches above. Great sipper and definitely worth a try.

LOTE 0222A, 43%, 50ml

Nose – Sweet and synthetic; rubbing alcohol, windex, hobby glue, some fresh cut grass, and morning dew.

Palate – Very sweet, fruity, and a bit smoky. Emphasis on the sweet. Barbecue sauce, sugar cane, honey, and a ripe sweetness, like grape.

Finish – A deep, tangy sweetness; brown sugar, cough syrup.

This has a fairly pleasant taste. It would probably work great as a mixer. However it tastes so sweet you’d suspect there was something artificial in it. I wouldn’t consider this as a sipper for that reason. But I can see this being great as an entry level Espadin for those newbies with sweeter palates.

BATCH NUMBER JOS-PEC-002, 46.2%, 375ml, BOTTLE: 377

Nose – Very funky, heavy on the cheese; like a charcuterie board. White cheddar, gouda, parmesan, cream cheese, Kraft singles. Some sweetness and other types of funk, like rubber, vinyl, damp wood, and Elmer’s glue.

Palate – Tangy and spicy; a myriad of so many interesting flavors! Fruity and vegetal funk; like cilantro, mango, passion fruit, oranges, fennel, and cilantro… so much cilantro. Sweet and tangy; like ginger, cloves, and tamarind. Then finally a taste of that pechuga in the form of a sweet, spicy and punchy meat; pepperoni.

Finish – All these flavors of spice, meat, fruit coalesce and simplify. Cinnamon, allspice, sweet sausage, and mango passion fruit gum; a very tropical finish.

This is very unique and definitely worth a taste just to experience the range Mezcal possesses. It’s very flavorful, though I can’t see myself reaching for this very often because it is so funky that I can see this being unpleasant in large amounts. It’s definitely a once in a while pour, and although it is interesting, I can’t say with confidence that it tastes ‘good’. It’s just really interesting and I’m sure any Mezcal nerd can appreciate its weird flavors.