Nose: Subdued, watery, less herbaceous than expected but still with some basil and green peppercorn back there. Still smells of SdV, massive clay and agave. Americana from SdV is just really unique to me. There’s some similar fruit but less brightness and lactic notes, a little more floral (good white pepper, coconut) compared to the dryer sheets of above.

Palate: Balance, control, good texture. Nearly simplistic, hot, creamy. Oh shit, did I already say that? Some cream cheese on the finish, less acrid, but more clay dominated with some sour / acidic tones like lime juice helping with the nearly salty minerality. A touch hot and floral.

Nose: Clean, clay and agave and fruit are matched nicely here in a clean package. Some leafy herbs, ink, and dryer sheets back that up – these [wider mouth than Glencairns] glasses really highlight “Mexicano” agave. Mild lactic tones, soft papaya. Maybe like a soft yogurt + fruit cup image comes to mind.

Palate: Balance, control, good texture. Nearly simplistic, hot, creamy. Transition to the finish starts ashy, but some fruit and herbs pull through to leave things less acrid. Chocolate tones, red velvet and such are becoming apparent to me later in this review, which isn’t always shocking for Mexicano.

Eleuterio Perez Ramos TELMC14 April 2014 205btl
45.21%

Nose: This is singing the in the glass. Grilled watermelon galore, oranges, hibiscus, clover honey, it’s like smelling the colors of a sunset. This manages complexity whilst not losing the forest for the trees. More berries coming to the fore, in spades, pushing over the peanut brittle aspects that I got right at first pour. Aromatic, vibrant, fresh, with just enough earth and tea to make me eagerly await the palate!

Palate: Coming from the 51.2% sample I poured before this, it’s a touch subtle, but you don’t feel like you’re missing much. A complex array of fruit and orange dances on the midpalate before fading into light nut butter and breakfast tea along with cherry. There’s a minerality and florality and candied citrus aspect that reminded me of unaged Hampden rums, adding energy. The time in glass might be the reason for the wonderful subtlety and control and coherancy.

Thoughts: I can’t wait to try more from this producer! 5S bringing magic, per usual.

Vago JB Tobala for Texas
20 May 2021

51.2% $129.99

Color:

Nose: Sweet agave, leaning green, not terribly far in profile from his nice espadin but this has a lot of polish and focus for the proof. Honey, papaya, culantro, mild peppers and a touch of yogurt. Gentle mint, something akin to graphite, lots of warm sweet soil, light bovine savory tones. Really good example of a neutral leaning tobala.

Palate: There’s that wonderful texture, viscous and round like most other Vagos interestingly. Anywho, caramel and other toasted sugar notes, light blanched and toasted almond, more honeyed papaya, light cayenne, fresher herbs (hierba santa), with a good length of finish that’s more earth driven with some cracked peppercorns too.

Thoughts: Viscous, caramelized tobala. Proof is so damned in control, really masterful distillation.

There’s just something lacking, for me and my palate. That’s subjective. But damn nice pour, I can’t wait for more from this producer. If you like Vago and this profile, consider getting your hands on one. I think for the right palate it would be a top notch classic, like Greenspoint highlighted so nicely.

Clean, sweet nose, identifiable as tepeztate but more honeyed and friendly and not quite the balls-to-the-wall pepper-bomb that can happen with this character of an agave. Floral, key lime pie [tangy yogurt], fresher Serrano peppers without heat, jalapeño seeds, soft hand soaps, ah dang this is actually really really lovely and competent. White tea, lightly dried citrus zest, and something woody / twiggy round off the profile.

Sweet, honey and sharp lime all over, a nice light finish leaning more on peppers and fresh wood tones, jalapeño seed. Tangy lactic notes dance around nicely.

I’m actually shocked at how wonderful this is. I wonder what higher proof would’ve done.

PT02 47.5%
Nose: Smoke, mildy acrid, fresh green bell peppers, and as it opens it softens into more berries and cream cheese, marionberry, mozarella and paramasean, but still with a good heft of fleshy mango and papaya to bring some tobala fruit around. Vanilla, clove, sencha, mild jasmine. Lemon wheels add brightness next to dried orange peel, with a fresh cilantro and mint pile on top. Complex, some jackfruit coming through.

Palate: Acidic, but oh those mixed berry flavors are popping off so nicely with the cream cheese on the finish with bits of lemon zest. Acrid, yes, but the flavors past that are very unique and engaging. An incredibly complex development. The slate minerality that pops through, candied watermelon, the forest floor and pine and wormwood like notes that lightly pepper the profile… nice.

Thoughts: Points off for a slightly acrid batch, but a producer I need to buy more from.

It’s funky, acrid, and acidic, but if you can deal with that you’re in for a hell of an experience.

Wow, sublime, all kinds of pleasantly charred green notes: grilled nightshades, ancho, lightly briny, kale, just so green, dried mint, coca, oolong teas, with some kind of fruit kinda like a honeyed kiwi that I can’t really place. Complex! Actually – more and more tea notes, green teas of course. Dark, brooding, dank. Fennel.

Palate: Oh so dark, with some fascinating spices. All kinds of dark teas, pu-erh and other black teas coming to the fore now more than before, the finish ends more mint and fruit driven.

Thoughts: Unique, fascinating, wonderful, I would love to spend time with a bottle of this!!

One of my highest ratings ever. Some traces of over-dank on the finish leaves it tasting just a touch rotten and sour.

This one is taking some time, watermelon rind and cilantro, lime, watercress, taffy, salt, green melon, green Laffy Taffy, cucumber, gentle green spicy peppers… I’m having a hard time with this one. So much salt. It’s oddly simple yet elusive – in a good way.

Oily thick dense texture seems to be there. Dense agave character, simple, drinkable, floral finish with just massive character lingering. I think I’ll grab one when I can!

Leaning back towards charred peppers and nuts, though with plenty of fresh key lime brightness as well. Just compared to the candy bomb next to it in this flight, it’s more earth driven. Hazelnuts, limeade, mints, mild green veggies, dandelion root, present smoke. Starchy smell like you’d use with an iron, yet it still maintains a fun freshness.

Palate: Interesting, thinner body. Watery, almost, but freshness helps keep this rather drinkable. Finish is long, some spices and rocks. Agave centric,

’ll probably understand this more after the reveal. Proof in this flight might’ve hurt it.

Argonaut glass rested batch.

Candy forward :). Banana and other assorted Runtz. Floral, certainly, with a balance not unlike Alipus’ San Andreas of fruit, minerals, and flowers. Guanbana, mild ginger, jasmine, violet, lemon wheels, taffy.

Palate: Chemical, pool toys, floral, odd texture, a little acrid white pepper but oh goodness those oodles of candied fruits! Blossoms, Runtz, minerality, softness, a gingery heat, with a mineral and more classic agave finish.

Conclusion and “t8ke” scale rating: 7+/10. Bright and zippy. Doesn’t taste like most teps!!

Nose: There’s some of that wild Miahuatlan candy that I crave in here. The most aromatic and bright of the three in this flight, though I’m having trouble placing things. Some kind of grass, mints, maybe honeydew, watermelon Jolly Rancher, some serrano, marshmallow, mild kukicha, grapefruit.

Palate: Complex entry, elusive candy, but also leaning dark, nuttier than the nose. The candy is just in and out and in and out, the finish leaning on black and other peppercorns, serrano, light mint and lime. Solid as a rock.

A little more smokey and ashen, pleasantly so. I have to dig a little deeper into the glass to find more roasted peppers, acorn squash, honeycomb, rather dessicated citrus peels, mild chocolates or coffees, and more green notes. Agave, sea spray, clean and more papaya like fruit coming out.

Palate: Seemingly lighter bodied, a touch acrid, mild, but still with plenty of green character and fruit – green apples showing (malic acid), mustang grapes. Long finish, a little dirty and burnt.

Thoughts: Solid bottling, truly, I think I’m spoiled in this flight.

Above average, if uninspiring at times. EDIT:: better at the end of the glass, less acrid.

Nose: Peas, I’m unfortunately allergic to legumes so take this with a grain or eight of salt, but lots of green legumes. Yams, minerality like in Smarties, roasted potato slices, grilled beefheart tomato, I’m also allergic to nightshades. Let’s hope I don’t die from this XP. Jokes aside, more typical notes appear with a rather obvious smoke, like most of her works. Sticky buns, more yeast notes, cinnamon, complex. I’ll look forward to seeing other (and better) interpretations.

Palate: Entry is light, sweet, bright – chamomille and a little ginger. Unfortunately this hits on some of those acrid and white pepper tones I seem rather sensitive too, leaving an unpleasant ashy bitterness that tampers away many of the fun starchy notes. Time in the glass helps, but not enough. The finish is mediocre, acrid.

0415FC 15 April 2021 48.82%

Nose: I do love their clean karwinskiis, and this has a delectable chemical note that’s pleasant like paint markers. Cherry and mild vanilla and cola, white corn, gentle hazelnut, golden raisin, white grapefruit, lemon blossom and wildflower honey.

Palate: Not quite as clean and fruity as the nose, but showing more earth and chemical. Grass fire, green plantain, lime comes up. Oh look, those are all green grass-like notes. The finish shows more of what the nose offered, cherry galore and that touch of brown sugar. Nice vibrant acidity! Only some mild bitter notes on the midpalate, a touch sour at times.

Thoughts: I’ve always loved their juice. Consistent, strong in character, in a style that I really love.

Conclusion and “t8ke” scale rating: 7/10. A *stellar* example of Miahuatlan karwinskii! Tempted to go higher on the rating…

Nose: Floral, also with caramel tones – oh dammit this is americana not rhodacantha. (Context, tried to taste it next to a Mexicano/Tep). That makes so much more sense. Light, pretty, papaya, minty, some thyme for sure.

Palate: Nice pleasant acidity, cherries popping out and that lovely minerality. Damn I just love the Ramos stuff. Green tones, oodles and oodles of sweetness. Melons, cherries, pine, honey, candies.

Thoughts: I love Ramos. Yea.

The nose is tobala dominant to me, floral, light, honeyed, with soft green fruits like honeydew and other melons, fresh lemon brightness, cilantro and fresh herbs, vanilla, tons of flowers.

The palate shows more of the tepextate, but mosty I’m struck by the light body, delicacy, florality, and subtle complexity. The finish is rather wonderful, wildflower honey and the agaves showing cleanly with a slight pepper heat.

Almost too thin at times, this bottle (and sample that I had) needed air for sure. A little more weight and balance of the great fruits to the other odds and ends would do wonders. Take this rating with a grain of salt!- I imagine this one to be divisive!

Nose: I’ll have to look up the proportions here – smells tobala dominant with juicy plums and tropical fruits and a little bit of signature “Expo marker”. A little more earthy espadin, mints, violet candies, lemon, spearmint.

Palate: Chemical entry, quickly going through some fresh herbs into tobala fruits, before getting rather spicy and a bit hot on the finish. More of his grilled lime showing up, dry, decently mineral.

Thoughts: Not my favorite, but a solid effort from somebody who is incredibly capable and experienced.

Nose: Roasted, smoky tepextate. Pine smoke, roasted poblano, some touches of evergreen and watermelon. With time some green mango comes out with more watermelon, a little papaya, some lemongrass, avocado, and really gorgeous and floral peppers.

Palate: More centered on roasted peppers, a sweet floral and fruity entry going into that pepper body with ample lime juice without being too acidic, a little minerality / perhaps salt as well. The finish is a touch ashy and diffuse, but with good length. Sadly though, the flavors that linger aren’t nearly as pleasant as the entry and main body.

Thoughts: If the smoke was a little more controlled and the finish better, this could easily go down as an all time favorite tep.

Nose: Sweetness, fruits, graphite, ripe tropical fruits and white wine grapes. Really lovely, papaya leading the most of this with slight bubblegum aspects, berries and some cream cheese, a gentle [bell] pepper. Some banana, lilac, playdoh, lemon dance around the edges for complexity.

Palate: Good entry, definitely on the berries and cream side of things for the entry. Some nice acidity, not much presence of bitterness, though a slight umami/salt note is present underneath the main body – like a harder cheese. Finish is long, aromatic, with vanilla playing a nice role.

Thoughts: Tonight is off to a great start. A new producer and area for me! I wonder if this “cuixe” is like other cuixes varietally for comparison… just tons of complex fruit tones.

Conclusion and “t8ke” scale rating: 8/10. Really hitting hard. Just a touch hot on the finish.

Nose: Oh that’s nice, mineral, meaty, grilled limes for days, really clear agave, light fruits in syrup, floral. This hits on many receptors. My notes go closest to Tyler’s + the cedar notes. Browned butter ever so softly, bacon bits, a little cayenne, cinnamon, this is just fun.

Palate: Acidic in a fun way, confirming the grilled lime on the nose, a minerality, but just a nice agave body with a light astringent white pepper holding it back. The finish is of decent length, and is subtle and subdued though a touch on the smoky side.

Thoughts: The story behind this guy is amazing; he has a good style going and clearly knows what he’s doing.

Conclusion and “t8ke” scale rating: 7/10. Amazing to taste something like this!