Toxic pink/alloy color. Fun fact: this is because they use Cochineal insects when making it.

Nose: very subtle chicken flavor.

Palette: hard to distinguish anything through a strong alcohol and heat. Chicken soup aftertaste, pretty pronounced chicken taste if you let it linger. Maybe gotta let this one sit in a glass a bit to get softer.

Overall, not a bad pechuga. First time I tried it, I felt more chicken and it felt almost nauseatingly savoury chicken-like. Second time it felt much milder. Could be the batch.

Nose: sour apples, probably the most sour mezcal I’ve smelled

Palette: sweet and sour, more sour than sweet, minerally and savory, mild nutty hint in the back of my throat, toasted fruits aftertaste, pleasant heat, actually burns quite a bit but I don’t mind it due to balance and flavor. Very nice tobala. So much better than their espadin.

Wow this one punches you in the face but with a beautiful bouquet of sweet and mineral flavors. So perfectly balanced. Slightly viscous, not too smokey, toasted pineapple. Slight mineral after taste. Heat heat heat in my throat but the one you want to keep drinking again and again.

Real minero doesn’t disappoint.

Just tried the 5 maguey version of 5 Sentidos at “El Destilado” bar/restaurant in Oaxaca city (a must visit when in town!)

Nose: ripe pear and pineapple, amazing dessert-like fruity smell; I almost get hints of an ice cream.
Palette: sweet, slightly viscous, slight bite of peppery heat at the end. At almost 50° this is incredibly drinkable, great balance but more on a sweet side. Love this ensemble.

Nose: sweet, floral, toasted agave and pineapple

Palette: sweet, slightly sour and salty, great balance, just enough smoke. This tastes like charred grilled bananas. Love it.

Another great mezcal from El Jolgorio.

Got this mezcal from our mezcal tour guide who’s one of its producers. I think this is a pretty simple/cheap espadin that’s easy to find in many places in Oaxaca. Smells pleasant, sweet toasted agave notes. Very mild on the tasted, some subtle grass, slightly more on the sour/salty side than sweet. This drinks like water. Almost no viscosity.

Interesting Jabali. I didn’t like this as the other one I’ve tried by Rey Campero (that one was incredible).

This is smokey, very smokey. I think this might be Convite’s thing as all of their mezcals have that strong, forward, charred flavor.

Bitter and grassy. This one bites.

After it sat in a glass for a bit, this actually tastes quite nice. But only right after a sip. Sweet toasted agaves, very pleasant. Except that it quickly turns into a bitterness that I’d rather not have.

I like the smokiness and the floral profile, just wish it wasn’t so bitter. Perhaps good for those who like smokey, charred, bitter notes.

Ever since I tried Gracias a Dios’ tobala as the most recommended mezcal by one of the bartenders in Tulum, I’ve been curious to check out their other agaves.

Cuixe is currently one of my favorites and wow did this not disappoint.

Toasted peanuts on the nose, beautiful bouquet and balance. Mineral notes stand out but just ever slightly. This is not as sweet as other cuishes I’ve had. Pretty soft, not too smokey, chocolate aftertaste. Amazing cuishe that I would drink any day when in the mood for something slightly less sweet.

Ooof, not a fan of this. The alcohol is so strong it hits my nose before I can distinguish anything else. Feel some floral notes in there but very very mild. This mostly just burns my tongue.

Hmmm, might be one of my favorite mezcals from now on. Can’t believe how balanced it is. Immediately salty and sour but then you feel sweetness blend in with all the floral notes, followed by slight bitterness. It just hits all the notes at once in perfect proportions; I just don’t want to change anything about it! Pleasant dessert aftertaste, mild smokiness. Instant classic.

Very strong punch of mineral and salty on the nose and on the first sip. Balanced herbs and smoke. Pretty nice combination of sweet, bitter, and salty. Peppery and a bit grassy. Definitely “fresh” if I were to summarise it with one word.

I knew this was a highly rated mezcal when I tried it but didn’t get the “wow” factor.

This is a lovely Tobala ensemble.

It’s incredibly smooth, soft, warm, full-bodied, and drinks very well. I don’t get a lot of floral notes and complex flavors here as in some Arroqueno and Tepeztate ones, but this strikes me as a very well balanced ensemble. Just so enjoying to sip on. Not harsh at all, a bit oily (seems like it’s always the case with Tobala?).

At ~$30 in local Mexico shops, this is also a pretty affordable Tobala.

Lot 002-20BA

Smells sweet, a little grassy, feels like dessert in a glass. Can already tell it’s well balanced by smelling. Taste — sweet, chocolaty at first, bitter and minerals after. A bit harsh, chocolate vanilla after taste. Very balanced Lalocura but probably not as good for me as Tobala or Arroqueno. Wish it was oiler, more full bodied.

Still, very balanced, very drinkable. This is a great mezcal as most of this brand is.

This one is definitely more on a mineral side, immediately salty. Not oily, not sweet, not bitter, tastes almost like… Worcestershire sauce? 🙂 Agree with others on having those soy sauce notes. Good pairing for the oysters?

Might be my least favorite Lalocura.

Smokey, bitter, harsh, a bit oily. Bitter overpowers sweet for me, actually I can barely taste any sweet in there. Can feel floral notes a bit but they get overpowered by bitter and smoke.

Not my favorite mezcal but this is the 3rd different Convite I try and it seems they all share these characteristics to an extent.

Smells smokey.

Oily but soft and mouthful, bitter and very peaty. Not sweet at all, almost wish it was sweeter as the only note I feel is bitterness. Yet, it feels very balanced, pleasant mild peat aftertaste continues for a while. Overall, I like this, as long as you can get past bitter notes.

I think this might be the peatiest mezcal I’ve tried. Must be a good foray for scotch drinkers.

Smell — sweet and grassy.
Taste — sweet, chocolaty, packs quite a punch, mineral after taste, slightly salty.

This has got to be the best mezcal to introduce your friends to. I get almost no flavors, either in the beginning or the end. It’s not too harsh, is moderately sweet, and is very drinkable. I just wish I felt something besides sweetness. Maybe it’s the batch.

I was expecting much more grass but instead… on opening, very noticeable vanilla flavor. First sip — incredibly sweet, might be the sweetest mezcal I’ve had. Still feeling vanilla, pretty drinkable, not too harsh. Very pronounced hemp flavor in an after taste. Overall this feels akin to drinking a dessert wine like Sauternes, almost mead-y. I think I quite like it, when you’re on a mood for something like this.

(Lot SAR002/19, Bot 1006 / 1094)

Just tried this today and it might be one of my all time favorite mezcals. Wow, so so good.

Incredibly smooth from the start, no alcohol taste whatsover, full bodied and that oily mouthful, slightly floral but more earthy and with this strange taste/flavor that I can’t quite describe. Almost reminds me of that smell you get when burning Copal (mayan resin). Later develops into nuttiness and lingers for quite a while.

Curiously, I’ve tasted this one together with Los Danzantes’ Pechuga which was much more alcohol forward but after sitting in a shot glass the 2 reversed roles. Pechuga has gotten softer while Tepextate retained strength and almost started feeling bitter.