Nose: It smells dark, roasted, and the “mezontle” aka roasted pinas I think show through here from what I’ve smelled of post-cook agave hearts. Nice aromatics, all the things I love from Guerrero cupreata show: a sweetness and fruitiness, a bright light acidic character, sweet tobacco, some vanilla and clove spice. Extra smoke and fumes, dry grass, and a little kiwi.

Palate: Light bodied and fresh in a really nice way, a great simple texture, getting a touch gritty on the finish. The main palate is full of agave flavor, with a lot of complexity that is a little hard to convey at times. There’s lots of roasted fruits and sweetness. The finish isn’t as long as I’d like, nor as complex or engaging.

Thoughts: Solid, fun, and roasty. Super cool juice, as per usual from Melate.

Conclusion and “t8ke” scale rating: 7/10. Roasty Guerrero, what’s not to like?

46.2% – was my sample from a friend labeled wrong?

Nose: Minerals, gravel, hot charcoal, wow this is unique and esoteric. I’ll readily admit I’m having problems pinning this down. Looking at varietals, there’s some barril grass and mexicano chocolates, sure, brisket burnt ends, a few dried herbs like thyme and sage. More chocolates and meat and black pepper are coming through slowly. For all the dark notes, this doesn’t really smell acrid or burnt.

Palate: A full texture on entry, swelling into a mineral ashen sweetness where a mild pepper fights against charcoal and a vague creamy sweetness. MezcalReviews lists this as 42.6%, regardless, this is a bit hot. The finish has a great agave sweetness that’s earthy and subtle.

Thoughts: I haven’t had much like this, it reminds me of some rustic Michoacan offerings. Really unique, and I want to try more!

Conclusion and “t8ke” scale rating: 6/10. Fascinating juice, totally worth trying. Just a bit hot and esoteric.

Nose: Huge fruit notes, quince, overripe papaya and banana, slightly estery, methinks. Some earthen stink, this is from Minas, a kinda “cheeses and herbs” thing. Sage. Certainly on the more extreme end of profiles. Parmesan, sage, and overripe fruits. Some quality homemade fancy orgeat references, clay, beef fat.

My feet are tappin’ cuz the funk is real! Just when the main palate I think has hit me with the Bop Gun hard enough, dang ol’ Bernie Worrel signs us off on the finish where beef fat, sage, and banana oil ride it out.

Worthwhile experience, not exactly crushable. The balance seems to fascinate me but ultimately I think this is more of a lesson in extremity. Maybe it’s not really that funky, but, idk. Thanks for reading?

49.1%

Peanut butter, banana slices, strawberry Laffy Taffy, lemon drops, violets.

Palate is sweet, some earth, some white pepper floral spice. Vibrant acidity, low bitterness. The finish is long, more earth and mineral driven, but sweet with a little vanilla candle. Ramos is fantastic.

MIA-M1903US/2019/46.35%

Nose: That gorgeous candied cherry, vanilla, peanuts, minerality. Dragonfruit comes to, with other strawberry and pink fruits. Candied!

Palate: Watery entry, but nice agave flavor, complex, candied fruits, pops of citrus, cinnamon, floral, nice long finish.

Star of the show, and totally my style as well. Give me more proof :P.

MIA-B1903US/2019/46.37%

Nose: Gentle, lots of roots, Miahuatlan bicuishe always gives me kinda marshmallow vibes and we’re not far off here. Hamburger wrapper, lots of minerality, mild kukicha or eccentric white teas… can’t quite place it. We’ll see if the palate is a little wetter than the nose.

Palate: Watery entry, a touch of that ash, but nicely complex. White pepper spice, woody finish.

A touch dry, the lower proof I think hurts here as well. Watery, on the eccentric and austere side. I’m usually ok with that,

MIA-T1903US/2019/46.41

Nose: Roasted peppers, almost nutty, some smoke and very nice charcoal notes. Actually kinda surprised at all the nice smoked wood notes. Oregano, more peppers, varied peppers, green peppercorns.

Palate: More neutral entry, and a little simple. That ash on the nose translates into a slightly acrid burnt taste. Finish is plain and short.

I think I’ll probably be in the minority, but too “burnt”. Some really good stuff going on otherwise!

Nose: Wool?, earth, old cedar chest, lightly floral and nutty.

Palate: A little grippy and spicy and wooly. Not really a fan, funkier. Lots of dirt.

Thoughts: Not for me, though I get the potential appeal.

Conclusion and “t8ke” scale rating: 5/10. I’ll try again when there’s a different release!

Nose: Thin, minty, perhaps some acetone. A little beef jerky, teryaki?,

Palate: Chemical, thin, but somehow pleasant. The mints are really lovely, with touches of sage and basil and more mints.

Thoughts: Hard to understand this but it really grew on me.

Conclusion and “t8ke” scale rating: 6/10. Excited to try more from this producer!

Lot 1 48.2% $157.99/750

Wow. The sotol name is “ludicum rose”, and there’s definitely some rose petal notes to this. I went and smelled some essential oil thereof to be certain. Fresh linen, chlorine, chrysanthemum as well in good amounts. Gentle “rain on rocks” minerality, as we say, but yea it’s about the most floral expression I’ve had.

Sweet entry, sweet palate with some crabapple and other red orchard fruits. When you swallow, the more classic sotol profile comes through. Minerality, dried herbs, light mint, more florality, a light almond flour. Good texture and viscosity. A light wooliness on the finish, though pleasant.

This is a fascinating bottle. A very kind person was gracious enough to give me a sample about a week ago, I promptly bought a bottle and am excited. I really do like sotol, and the excessive floral nature is very up my alley.

Higher proof I think would’ve been nice, just a few points. Not much to complain about. I’m just now seeing the watermelon note in the official tasting notes – good call.

Lot 1 50.8% (80% Wheeleri 20% Shrevei) $95/750

Tasted side by side with a similar Clande lot.

Meaty, with dessicated tropical fruits like plantain in with a nuttiness as well. More floral, almond flour, culantro, some kind of rubber, Xylitol.

Palate: More “grip” to the texture and more rubber flavor, with more nuttiness showing here on a less explosive main event of flavors that’s more even and measured with less development through the finish of desiccated plantain, minerality, light semi-fresh herbal notes, and burnt match. Very complex, austere.

Conclusion and “t8ke” scale rating: 7/10. Interesting form to this, and the different agave is making nice subtle changes. Rockstar producer!

Overly “smooth”, nearly lifeless, the texture is strange, floral. Inoffensive, incredibly boring, completely forgettable. So forgettable in fact that I remember exactly what it’s like months later. Yea. Figure that one out.

Smells much more like toasted oak, drier spices, forest floor, some sotol-adjacent references. Actually reminiscent of some Bienvenido Fernandez sotol (bottled under Clande), who I was just thinking about purchasing some bottles from. Some similar candied fruits, though recessed, more watermelon and muskmelon. A little nutty, though I can’t quite pin that down.

A little more “chemical” / hot rain on cement driven, which I do like. Perfumed, lightly spicy and drying, complex.

7/10. Fantastic, drying, spicy, complex.

That lightly fishy funk that I’ve come to know with his bicuixe and style, sage, marshmallows, twig tea (kukicha). Actually, yes, that’s almost a perfect note. Kukicha and other such interesting teas! Some mild candied fruits, like watermelon or honeydew canteloupe.

Round, mineral and sweet entry, pushing heavier into minerality before a balloon of fruit flavors bursts on swallow fading into the fun tones described, with kukicha recessed wonderfully.

Compared to other batches I’ve had, the balance here is a little better. Not as brutally earthy and drying… which I do like either way.

8/10. Masterful bicuixe; I’ve been picky about it as a single varietal offering before.

Bias up front: I’m a member of the group and got to be part of the tasting panel. That being said, this is an all-time favorite. I love this producer, brand, and this especially candied edition is just exactly what I enjoy. To each their own… I’m tempted to give this the full 10/10.

Tio Rey has that semi-elusive “style” with tons of slate. Ground chocolates here, darker ones, with light almond tones. Honeys. More fruits is mostly what I notice first though, lightly estery, grass fire, prunes, a little cough medicine, this is trying to play peated Benromach to make another whiskey reference. Why not. (See my Mexicanito review, which was done alongside).

Minty entry, mintier body, and those dark chocolates showing nice contrast. Also quite dense, and the finish shows more ash and vanilla with a unique spicy prickling sensation, like chili oil. The little bits of dried pineapple and starfruit in there are nearly baffling but undeniable and nearly out of character for this producer.

Sola de Vega producers typically don’t distill karwinskiis, and I don’t get why. This is a blast, and the slight amounts of bright fruits in there really add a wonderful behavior to this brooding producer.

47.8% Tio Rey of course, but tons of chocolates and toffee. Some peat is suggested by another taster, I could see some Caol Ila influences here. Or a Longrow Red. Cloves, cinnamon, plantain, white and light green teas.

Not as hot as most of his ensembles on entry, with a really rich texture and more sweet agave flavor than expected. Slate and chocolate and a little fig before going into a hot finish with some singed herbs.

Soil, marble pound cake, a touch of dreamsicle. Classic (but quality) Matatlan.

Viscous, full bodied entry. A little vague, the smoke is a touch dominant and hot. Finish shows more of the agave sweetness from the nose. Really really creamy.

The texture is just WILD.

Poblanos, lightly cheese stuffed etc. Still, it’s happier smelling, more sweet, more lemon blossom up top. Mangos coming through now nicely. Definitely more fruity with time, as expected. Not sure how I got more of a San Luis Potosi vibe at first, but there’s no obvious reason to backspace that, lol. Really coherant, tropical profile now. How odd!

Good, “wet” entry, some slight vegetal tones tease me here too with a mineral heat. Finish is peppery, with traces of fruits in and out, and a little excess heat/dryness.

Maybe other batches are better? Just a little hot and out of balance as soon as you swallow.

Chemical, in a pleasant way. Floral, lightly tropical, lemon candies. Licorice, soybean.

Entry is sweet and vibrant, though a bit hot. Midpalate is also a touch hot, hiding some of the nice flavors. More orange comes through here, finish is short. Almond oil – agreed.

Perhaps a slightly challenging profile, but solid, complex.