Was fortunate enough to do a side by side of batches 1 and 2. 1 was full of acidic tart cherry, and 2 was quote earthy with notes of fresh tobacco. Good sweetness, and dry finishes as excpted of Vasquez. They were quite different, but overall I feel deserving of a 5* rating. 1 was quite unique, but 2 was no slouch.

Unfortunately, quite flavorless. I’m guessing column distilled and steamed – 38%ABV isn’t helping. Some minerality, some sweetness, some vague florality as I would expect from a wheeleri. Overall, boring and disappointing.

Grassy, sugarcane, kiwi, starfruit, nice smoke, kinda clay. Lemon oils, lemon leaf, lime peel, gardenia or lily of the valley, ceylon, whiffs of pink peppercorn. Decent complexity. This has oxidized a touch, and rather well. Mild salt, some herbal heat that would remind me of a gin botanical, maybe coriander and cilantro.

On the palette: more minerality than expected, plays up the sweet with a touch of sour – nice. Refreshing. Grassiness and bright light tropical fruit dances over the minerality.

For value, this deserves another star.

Tasted side by side with the other 2 varietal offerings.
Quiet, gentle, dry, shows the character of the maker. Some sage is coming through rather nicely, along with white pepper and some small red dry forest berries – almost raspberry, or less sweet like a strawberry. Some touches of fresh leather with a touch of nice fresh polish; a new wallet. Some nice fresh lemon oil, and something that almost somehow reminds me of a light sherry. I’m digging this, just wish the aromatics jumped a bit more. Traces of mineral smoke. Pecan, and yes, cedar. My favorite of the 3.

Tasted side by side with the other 2 varietal offerings.

More must and earth and a dessicated fruit sweetness. Florality, some beef jerky refererences, white mushroom (or some other variety that idk). Something, almost, peaty? Heather? Getting some really defined violet coming through. If there is citrus, more tangerine like, peach [blossom] for sure, jasmine. Very interesting stuff. Redwood, corn starch, black pepper.

Least favorite of the 3, a little too much heat in comparison.

Tasted side by side with the other 2 varietal offerings. Beef stew, leeks, carrot, onion. I’m not kidding, this is relentless. Clove, allspice, black cherry dark chocolate. Savory. As my nose adjusts, I get more minerality, almost more arroqueno like. Much more aromatic than the other two offerings.

Solid offering, quite savory.

Sotol Coyote Durango Blanco 43% LOTE not listed

Appearance: Thin beads, med-thin legs.
Nose: Mineral, floral, not detecting much sweetness. Lavender, peat, light violet, lemon zest, sausage, wheat, basil, walnut, brazil nut, mildest hint of dried papaya, lime, eucalyptus. Very subtle, not very aromatic. Water and time brought out yuzu sweetness, nice. Some salted butterscotch actually, too, and a touch of fig newton.

Palette: Subtle entry to full sotol flavor on the palette, no smoke really detected. Acidic flavors, paint thinner. Spicier side of sotol gives some era of vibrancy, could see this great in a martini. Finish is dense but long with those spices lingering with ozone/acetone. Time and water help with sweetness and body. Spices hit the tongue tip now but the main body is improved.

Thoughts: First pour, not super impressed. Gonna drop 5 drops of water, cover it, and come back in a few. Yeah, that really helped. From a 3* to a 3.5* probably.

A month later: this really needs to oxidize, it seems. Some complexity hiding in the palette (greater nose) but the sweetness has grown.

Aprendiz Mezcal Espadin Joven 40%
Lote: AP-04 in 2017, Bottle 0959/1000 (250mL) NOM O258X

Complex enough smoke balanced against a lime-y agave. Some elote action going on, mild syrupy/artificial tropical notes. Some kind of slate minerality is coming through, more of that lime [peel], fresher softer peppery notes – mild jalepeno and soft black peppery thing. Decent typicity. Lily of the Valley, something suggesting a red fruit, maybe an apple or medium berry. Water brings out more defined flowers, softens the lime to more lemon, and highlights a bit of something like juniper.

On the palette, soft, anticlimatic. Smoke plays secondary to the lime, slate, and sweeter agave. Water opens things up a bit pleasantly, though I wish it were bottled at 43-45%.

Not sure the potential price as a mixer on the shelf, but ideally less than Wahaka Espadin.

High toned agave, smoke, acetone. Tropical fruit (kiwi mostly), citrus, pepper, fun Aviation references (violette, maraschino, lemon), slight musk, some sweeter green apple, light colorful florality. On the palette neat, bigger simpler agave with more sweetness almost more like plums, moderate smoke that lingers, a little more acetone, less defined [tropical] fruit. Surprisingly long finish, touches of spice and minerality and smoke.

Great for the money, complex. Could use less acetone however. Rate 3+. In a cocktail, it plays an appropriate role. Not bombastic nor washy, appropriate and tequila-like overall in balance. Batch variation is a seemingly large issue.

Unsure lot numbers, tried three batches.

Sweetish from afar, and more sour as the nose goes in. Quite sour, with peppermint and spearmints, mild pork, decently aromatic. Seems bigger so far than 40% would suggest. Sour limes, pink peppercorns, sage, hint of thyme, hyssop, toffee, tiny touch of minerality/ozone. More sour than I’d like on the midpallete, with a musty finish. Good toffee sweetness on the entry.

EDIT: Will update soon. Things have gotten better.

Batch AA01, bottle 456. 45%ABV.

Appearance: Quicker legs, thinner. Slowly more beads form and drop.
Nose: More vegetal green nose for a sotol. Definitely hits with some sage, basil, aniseed, fennel, genepi, tangerine, chlorophyll, orgeat. Some vague walnut, spearmint, Zirbenz, white pepper. Nice sweetness on the tongue, wow. Great mouthfeel and control of ABV. Greenness and sweetness are there. “Hot rain on cement” minerality I get in most sotols is present but subdued. Smoke is generally low and dry, adding tickles of pepperyness. Finish is long and satisfying, showing off the anise side of the profile.

Might be my new favorite sotol – wow. Great stuff! Can’t wait to follow more from this producer. Fans of Mezcalero Joel Barriga’s Espadin would probably love this.

Distilled 27th of April, 2017. Rested in glass 200 days. Lot number 002/04/17. 48.3%ABV

Appearance: Oily legs falls down heavy, beads forming and dropping.

Nose: Following the nose going into the glass: Aromatic with the glass far away- high toned agave, mint. Lots of mints, complex mints, mostly spearmint with a nice support of peppermint for excitement, a touch of eucalyptus. Next is candied lemon and ginger. Minerality is a warming influence, and smoke wafts – pine, cedar? Marshmallow, slightly toasted. Agave flavor reminds me of espadin meets arroqueno? Deep inside the glass you get some suggestions at taffy, savory capiscum, slight yellow cake.

Palette: Fun sweet entry, balanced mouthfeel that’s leaning towards rich. A great balance of the aromatics described all together, with more present smoke heat and underlying minerality that’s more desert-like than might be expected. On the tip of the tongue, agave flavor takes center stage with the secondary aspects within. Peppermint tickles the edges with marshmallow. Finish manages to balance dryness with sweetness, which I haven’t really run across that much.

Thoughts: My first bacanora, going in a touch blind for the category. I don’t know exactly how to rate it or reference it. A “4*” rating would be in relation to other products on this site. Priced right (mid $50s) for a great experience. Look out for it!

December 2015, Lot #20. Bottle 42-204. 46%. RIP Don Jose Emilio Vieyra Rangel.

Nose: Good balance of florality and minerality, there’s a mystifying peppery vegetal agave flavor. On the palette, there’s a metallic taste alongside the damp agave. Smoke and saline ride the edges of the profile. The presentation is on whole balanced. While I respect the producer, this bottling seemed to just come shy of four stars. Affordable (found for ~$40 or so), well worth the experience, and fine for mixing.

Flor del Desierto, Desierto. Batch 001 , bottle 526.

Amazing trio of sotol sweetness, minerality, and smoke. Tons of dried porks, ground coffees, hazelnut, dried orange, lavender. White chocolate and fresh tobacco, cumin, thyme, pecan, soft black pepper, green apple peel. On the palette, it hits soft, floral, with great minerality. Spicy nuts tingle on the edges of the palette. Leaves tongue refreshed, with herbal tints.

Wonderfully delcious with great typicity. Almost tempted to give another star.

Unknown lot, & lot 44

While this has some great dried orange peel, anise, brown sugar or treacle notes alongside a “safe” espadin sweetness and a gentle but present smoke, I think this falls flat of expectations, especially at just 40%. Decent body and light tannin grip. Maybe a cask strength single barrel expression could show more potential, but right now I just am reminded of why I’ve moved away from tequila. While this might be a good bottle to convert “brown liquor” drinkers, the price makes me shy away. The repo I like equally and thus is a better value.

Big hit of clay and smoke under the sweetness – provides a great bottom end to mixed drinks. Agreed with others, great for mixing (especially with ginger, grilled pineapple, agave penicillin), but watery and weak on the palette. They use funds to invest in their farmers too, which is nice.

Black bottle (silvestre), ed. 4, harvest 2016 from Pedro Vasquez. Batch: PVOTZ201317EJ.

I’m sure I’ll come back to refine these notes – intense smell of the inside of a cave – wet gravel, must. Acorn squash, summer squash, pine needles and juniper indeed. An intense green heat but well balanced. On the palette, agave sweetness swells to an amazing body that’s much more approachable and enjoyable than the esoteric nose might imply. Entirely unique, engaging, drinkable – everything I look for in a spirit.

Lot TOB15. Black bottle that states “silvestre”. 47%.

Strawberry shortcake, very complex lemon notes, flowers, more red fruits. Nose contains smoke and cayenne and red pepper spice, though on the pallete the spice doesn’t carry – just a nice tobala sweetness, finishing with touches of ash and flowers.

Lot SLR-127.

Big genepi nose – how fun! [Orange] marmalade, cranberry, savory and spice – touches of star anise and mint, overall like a more vegetal highlands agave. Smoke lingers on the finish after a great mouthfeel. Worth the experience.

Copyright extends to 2015. TOP-151.

Oh, gosh. What an amazing dram! Full of all kinda of delicious fruit like mangoes and plums, white and yellow and purple flowers and vanilla, lightly caramelized sweetness, complex ashy smoke and intense minerality from such an amazing maguey. Some fun notes hiding of things like pineapple and pork, soy sauce, tumeric. The finish is possibly the best I’ve had of any spirit – it’s counted in minutes of oak smoke and agave lingering.