loved this. first tried at mexico in a bottle sf 2023 and then polished off a bottle from a bar in monterrey mx.
48.8% abv bottle# 35 /160. cant tell the lote number it was smudged off. my eyes are out for agave scabra!

Rodrigo Martínez Méndez
batch ROD-PEC-002, bottle 511. 300 liters, May 2024, 49% abv
aroma: fruits, anise, fresh n fruity, bubble gum, tropical candy
palette: more fruits, sweet anise, cinnamon, marzipan, banana, lots of orange peel

Refugia “Cuca” Cortés Ramos & Rodrigo Cortés Santos – Espadin gusano
batch REF-ESP-001, bottle 404. 240 Liters, August 2023, 47% abv
aroma: very distinctive smell. call me crazy but Im getting some mango distillate aroma on this! I gave this a few tastes spaced over about 2wks and while very curious I wasnt enthralled on first try, however, it has grown on me. Im getting a raw sugar banana bread thing going on. sawdust.
palette: green mango, sweet yet tart, notes as if there was an aged wood influence (but we know its not). candied gusano JK! I dont know what that tastes like. fresh floral herbs at finish. overall the flavors linger long. love the idea and process for this one!

going with the 4.5 star overall for 2 batches.

Batch JAJA0524-2 Agaves from Chichicapam
48.3% abv
aroma: prunes, wood, venison, cranberry, sea salt water, pickle water.
palette: flash of brown sugar, baking spices, fresh basil or thyme(?), green olive, clay
4.25 stars

Batch JAJA0524-1. Agaves from Sola de Vega
48.3% abv
aroma: spiced, cooked dark cherry fruit. earthy woody fruity sweet. ashy leather.
palette: roasted agave, molasses, clove, banana, custard, nice long finish. juniper. there’s a fresh minty like note in there as well. the clay is present.
4.5 stars

48.5%. Batch JAMC0524
Aroma: Im getting rubbing alcohol..pomegranate, citrus like a bitter lime or lemon scent. shoe polish. bicycle tire.
Palette: petrol, stone minerals, dry burnt hay, artificial grape soda and concentrated fruit finish. I came back to this with a new pour and surprising improvement, finding it to have settled and getting a sweet roast agave.

49%
caveat is that I don’t connect with the general profile of Sotol. I encourage others to give it a try.
ultra green, grass, pine, menthol, eucalyptus, mint.

3/ 23 batch. 45% abv.

love it. well balanced and enjoyable for repeat sips. wood, floral, ripe fruit. chocolate, citrus grapefruit.

Lot 41 45.2% abv
funky, over ripe fruit aromas. papaya, tropical fruits, melon, tart candy.

Ensamble con cacao Jose Alberto Pablo 48.4% Batch JAENCO524
Aroma: not what I expected up front, alcohol clay mineral mild one line note. I would have guessed it was a single agave espadin. sugar.
Palette: cherry earthy dry tobacco bitter sweet. maple. creme brulee spread on burnt toast. cooked fruit. there is a cacao note obvs present in this, particularly on the finish. I’ve had a few destilados con cacao and this among the better ones. not a fan of these when its novelty however I can appreciate if its about resource use, custom or celebration.

Tepextate & Mexicano 48.8 % Batch JATM0524
Aroma: this aroma is banging. loving it. an autumn sea breeze, minty, herbal, strawberry jam.
Palette: this is cool! summer fruit, hawaiian punch, that flinty mineral note coming through, on over to the cacao topsoil leather wet gravel side.

Tobala Jose Alberto Pablo 48.5% Batch JAT00524
aroma: very aromatic, floral. up front a minty tropical fruit. blackberry. milk chocolate butterfinger, custard. plastic.
palette: getting floral water lavender papaya. cherrywood. rather different ride with this tobala than others i’ve tried. while for the aroma is pleasant, as I sit with this I’m finding a mineral profile that is overpowering in my mouth. this is a time and place for me, probably a 1 time pour before I move on to others type because it’s too odd.

Coyote Jose Alberto Pablo 48.8% Batch JAC00524
aroma: cinnamon, spice, soft bark. (arroqueño and sierra negra notes going through my mind) pleasant aromas that draw me in.
palette: soft while flavorful. woody, a fragrant note clove perhaps, citrus lemon kind of a dry finish, grapefruity. hardly any heat.

Maria de La Luz Martinez – Chino 60% y Cuerno 40%
52.20% abv, April 2023 100 liters
sipped in a veladora glass.
aroma: green peppers, green beans, charred broccolini, rubbing alcohol on one nostril, powdered sugar on the other.
wow full body rush of flavor! just fantastic. dry, toasty sliced nuts, maple, bbq’d chili on the grill. straw. cinna-mint. love this! I tend to really dig pulque fermentation batches.

Maria de La Luz Martinez – Chino 40% y Cuerno 40% y 20% Verde
52.90% abv, June 2023, 100 liters. sipped in a veladora glass.

aroma: fresh bright, jalapeño peppers, briny pickles.. but also musty mushrooms, a sweet dry rub bbq scent. could it be jalapeño cornbread?! ripe fruit, very aromatic. love that!
palette: mmm, super. shape shifting. hot green peppers. little meaty & little minty, this gets sweeter and tastier as I sip into it. dash heat on the tail is nice. long finish. touch of sweet char near the end. would happily sip more of this! very tasty!

batch EXC001 bottle 86/120 64.5v

hit with sweet scents of cinnamon and spice. banana, melon, hay. some version of powdered sugar.
more sugar followed by a fresh bright swell of flavor, very saturating and potent. take your time with this delicious yet abundantly flavorful creation. short vegetal note followed by a distinctive toasted sweetness, shifting into brown sugar and a caramelized sugar finish. really tasty. enjoy the sweet sips and take it all in. this is a treat to celebrate. thank you Tepanal and SF Tequila Shop for bringing this to us. not for the faint of heart with the abv. get some of this!

aroma: celery, herbs, bandaid smell, vegetal, eucalyptus, fresh, cocaine, dancing the line of isopropyl alcohol.. just clear of it.
palette: more of a boost, tasty fresh front, good finish good body, dashing of ripe fruit, cherry, early and end, bright mid swell. enjoyable. good legs coating glass.
via veladora

oh wow Ive been sleeping on opening this. Lucky day!! this is phenomenal! its the mixtape batch at 50.2%. I don’t see any other deets. im drinking from a wide clay copita.
Im greeted with a tropical fruity floral presence, ripe papaya. very pleasant and standout for espadín. would love to know more about this, growing conditions or if varietal or if this is standard for them. (cause I’d be grabbing another bottle!)
this is flavor for days. it goes on, long finish. taste buds are dancing through the night. some reason rock candy comes to mind. love this. def up there in my top favs for espadín batches.

GUA-BAC-001, 260 liters, feb 2024, bottle, 441, 47.7% abv.
I find this very enjoyable and something I would reach for albeit a bit unfamilar profile for me.
aroma: desert minerals dust animal hoof funk. sweet salinity. total orange chocolate as someone else has pointed out.
palette: spices, coco, overripe black cherry. root beer?. so cool this is agave angustifolia. I am liking this.

SAL- SOT-001, 400 liters, march 2023, 44.1% abv. bottle 29.
on the nose, it is reminiscent of some candied gummys of jabali. sweet roasted candied caramelized green plant (LOL).
bright yet dry. total spearmint sweetgrass. finish reminds me from tasting high grade baking chocolates, raw cocoa notes of the bright citrus floral range. this is cool.

aromatic, straight sweet grass blended with mint, almost like fake it was so present. didnt like the finish. I wasnt a fan of this profile. it seems well made but not for me however I do like other sotols. I suggest people to give it a try however if they see it.