MOHO01-20. 61/1127. 48.57% ABV.
Aroma – Horseradish, musty library book, Thai Chili sauce
Palette – Grilled asparagus, horseradish, sweet agave with a hint of spice on the finish.

The moldy agave lingers for a while on the tongue, which is kind of cool. Not something I can’t tell if I want to drink this often or bust it out for fun occasions. So unique, and worth grabbing since there’s not many bottles left.

Lot 07-MAR. 100% Angustifolia. This is a popular house mezcal in Brooklyn so I was excited to get my hands on a 200ml sample from Yola.

Aroma is sweet-slightly roasted agave, vanilla, and caramel. No smoke on the nose at all.
Palette is soft, vanilla, rich, and viscous. Minimal burn at 45% ABV. I would rather sip on this Espadin than use it in a cocktail for its minimal smoke. For me, this is a nicely budgeted sipper I can enjoy.

Nose – Lactic, cheese, leather wallet and overripe melon.
Palette – Sweet and creamy lactic notes, smooth with hints of coconut/melon and somewhat hot, pepper finish. Taste lingers for a little bit.

Catedral has a really smooth lactic Espadin which I taste in the forefront but the finish is very much Mexicano. No bottle information as I got a few ounces from a rep, but out of their whole lineup – this one is it. Interesting packaging concept as well!

4.25/5 stars

Berta never ceases to amaze. This Ensamble of Tepeztate, Tobaziche, Espadin, Mexicano y Tobala is full of flavor!

Sweet lactic aroma, you can smell the Tepeztate, and the palette is smooth, creamy like her Tobala’s. Vegetal, green, and lactic-fruity creaminess.

I must find this bottle!

LBE-001. 405/612.
Made by Benjamin, Eduardo and Sergio.
Aroma – Spicy mayonnaise, nail polish remover, pepper and wood.
Palette – Spicy jalapeno slices, sweet agave, hints of citrusy fruits. As it opens up, the sweetness comes to the forefront and gets a little lattice (a plus for me). Soft pepper finish.

Right off the bat, it reminded me of Pal’alma San Luis Potosí salmianna. The artwork on the bottle is really eye-catching. Hard to get a good picture with the metallic logo though!

AMA-02. Bottle #105/240. 45.5%.

Nose – Cheese, slightly lactic on the more sour side

Palate – I get Parmesan cheese but more specifically, a good Caesar salad with parmesan and great dressing. One big, boozy, caesar salad.

Nose is a little funky like overripe bananas, with a smooth lactic note.
Palette is earthy, mineral, pepper, papery, clove and ginger. Lacks sweetness. Softer finish than other Bacanora’s I’ve had.

Aroma – Sweet dried fruit slices, citrus, pine, mineral/saline like a Pechuga mezcal.
Palate – Pepper, wet dirt, mineral water, black licorice, with a peppermint finish. The alcohol is a little hot on this one. Overall, aroma is ten times better than the palate but a solid Sotol!

JBTBREY07-22. #125/145. Reynaldo-only batch. I was really hoping for the Alberto batch, but Madre only sells this one. Nose is a little funky, slight leather, gives off Espadin. Palate is not too exciting. The sweetness from the Tobala is missing that Alberto funk, hate to say it but it’s why I bought this bottle. The Jabali is front and present, sudsy like Pellegrino. Not worth the price, unfortunately. Hopefully I come across the original Alberto batch.

Rey Campero Jabali – pour at Jajaja in West Village. The experience was a childhood bubblebath for my teeth and tongue, think Mr. Bubble. The flavor profile dances on your tongue with sweetness, a touch of nail polish remover, and sudsy. After it airs out for awhile, it drinks like water. Jabali’ve I can fly!

PMNLE 01-23. 65/292, 50.2% ABV.
Aroma – Vegetal, Chicken Bullion, some sweetness like a fresh Banana, Ancho Chiles.
Palate – Chicken upfront, a little brine, some cilantro, slightly sweet. The finish is a little hot, but still pleasant. Compared to Mole Poblano, I like Poblano a little more. This bottle is worth a try if you have some extra mezcal money lying around.

I was given a 4 oz sample of this from a coworker. Nose is very Tom Ford Oud Wood. Woody, slightly lactic, and sweet roasted agave. The palate is okay; decent mouthfeel but saline. Leather notes, some lactic notes, but strong pepper and wood. I’m interested in the SLP, but will never buy a bottle. EDIT: The more you try this, the more “band-aid” taste you get on the palette.

#109. Lot #110. 45% ABV.
Fermentation – Barril Roble
Double Distillation
Aroma: No hints of pine which is surprising, sweet, touch of lactic at the tail. Palette – tastes like YSL Libre or Bond No. 9 Lafayette St, grape soda, pine, and sweet strawberry ice cream. The finish is strong alcohol burn, does a number to the tongue. EDIT: Revisiting Estancia Maximiliana and noticing the finish is a little softer as the bottle breathes more. Bumping this up to 3.5/5 for it’s stand-out character.

Lot 03-22. #151/328. Aroma is a sweet acetone, funk. Palate is similar with the ripe fruit, acetone profile with a nice funky finish that’s cheese-like. I had this as a 2 oz. pour, always wanted to try it and glad I did!

ARTP 05-21. 54.8% ABV. Shout out PM Spirits. Tio Pedre makes a great mezcal. Aroma is sweet, acetone and barbecue sauce. Palate is spicy, mustard greens, hints of agave but the smoke is there. Vegetal and savory. Mouthfeel is thinner than other Cinco Sentidos, but this is such a great sipper.

SN01, 2022.#21/146. 47.4% ABV. This has to be my favorite Cinco Sentidos expression so far (I haven’t tried Azul yet..) and it has all the right parts. Funky aroma, might I say barnyard? Love the lactic notes, clay aroma, and cream (again, lactic). The mouthfeel of all Alberto Martinez’s agave distillates are beautiful. Thick, soft, and falls downs the tongue so nicely. Palate is sweet, lactic, smokey, with a slight pepper finish.

Can’t find the bottle number or lot. July 2023, Head/tails. Aroma has the slight lactic funk I love, I think that’s coming from the Tobala and some soft smoke. Thinner mouthfeel than I’m used to but sips beautifully. Green notes of grass, agave and the finish is almost cinnamon-like, double-bubble pink gum’s initial taste sensation. But in no way does this taste like gum, so check it out! Berta Vasquez is a renowned Mezcalera and it’s an honor to try something from her.

Lot 47. #786/1056. El Mero Mero Tobala is a mezcal from Justino Garcia Cruz. I’m a sucker for labels, and this one is perfect. Aroma is soft milk chocolate, like an adult chocolate milk. Palate is sweet, very little green notes, but mostly cooked agave with a milk chocolate finish. Medium burn. The mouthfeel is smooth and thick. Tobala is my preferred expression and this holds up neck to neck with my gold standard, so 4.5/5.

TBALB 09-23b.14/108, 45.3% ABV.
Nose is funky-savory cheese like with green grapes. Mouthfeel is perfect, smooth and slightly weighted. The taste follows along the nose perfectly with a sweet front of roasted agave, leather, with a funky finish of cheese. I love all the expressions Alberto Martinez does for Cinco Sentidos, especially this one.

Lot: E-30-E-21
ABV: 50.3%
Nose: Salty, smokey peppercorn
Palate: This batch is rough, kind of bummed out other people are experiencing better tastings. There is a hint of corn, a strong burn, and roasted agave sweetness chilling on the tongue. Can’t get over the burn, could be the high ABV.