I had this in a tasting and I didn’t get the batch number but it was quite a bit better than the last batch of Rey Campero Madrecuixe I tried which was very astringent and alcoholic. Very tropical. Pound cake, allspice, cinnamon, pineapple, mango, fuji apple. Nice one.
Batch 0319FC. Like those chewy caramel candies I would fill my mouth with when I was a kid visiting my grandparents. Delicious. Also dark chocolate, peppermint, and lavender. Very nice Bicuixe.
Batch 0418HSA. I would have never guessed this was a Jabali, very unique and interesting. Anise flavors like crushed fennel seed, cloves, cinnamon, and some savory vegetal notes of roast agave and briny green olives. I like it.
Lot: FSK 09X.01 Surprisingly good, especially for the price! When I first opened it the smell was pure nail polish remover, but within a few minutes it mellowed out to a nice subtle fruity aroma. The taste was orange creamsicle, lemon peel, spearmint lifesavers, rosewater, and cinnamon sticks. A really nice Espadin!
I’m a sucker for a good story, and this one proved irresistible to the Mezcal nerd in me. A true old-school single field blend, from two Mezcaleros that I really like, with a list of agaves that include many of my favorites. Bicuixe, Verde, Madrecuixe, Tepextate, Tobala, and a single piña of Azul. This is a Mezcal to convert any spirit lover who claims to not like Mezcal. Delicate, light, sweet, and floral. It’s like a cool breeze in the tropics. Vanilla bean, frangipani flower, orange blossoms, fresh spearmint, crushed fennel seed, clove and cinnamon. Absolutely delicious!!
Magic. Tobacco leaf, sage, vanilla wafers, a desert stream hitting the ocean at sunset, pound cake, diamonds, oyster shells. Don Valente Angel Garcia is a magician of the highest order. I need to visit his Palenque next time I’m in Oaxaca. This Mezcal unanimously won a blind tasting at my house between Mezcalero 22, 16, and two Don Beto Madrecuixe.
Lot: 14. I love Cupreata Mezcals. This one, although not my favorite, is still quite good. Band-Aid smell but tropical fruit flavors. Juicy Fruit gum, strawberry soda, banana ice cream, pineapple, white pepper, and frangipani flower. Yum.
Lot: ESALB01-19. This one took me several sessions to wrap my head around. This is a Mezcal lovers Espadin. Complex and challenging, this batch is not for the newbie. Alberto Martinez really knows how to bring out complex flavors from his agaves. I have a feeling that everyone who tries this is going to taste something different. For me, right off the bat I got a flavor that reminded me of new tennis balls, similar to his Sierra Negra. It’s very woody and aromatic like cedar and sandalwood. Spicy like allspice, and cinnamon. It’s creamy and a bit bitter like gentian root tea, peat bog, and burnt match. Then at the end it’s herbal with notes of citrus like chamomile tea and meyer lemon. Every time I try it I like it more.
Lot: B0040EB4219 Creamy, lemon rind, caramel, vanilla. Inoffensive but a bit boring.
Creamy but thin in flavor, bitter aftertaste like gentian root, nail polish remover, vanilla, salty, and yeasty.
Creamy mouthfeel. Poblano chile, cilantro, lime pith, parsley, apple jolly rancher candy. Liked it less the more I had, a bit too much of that jolly rancher note for my taste.
Lot 001. Macario Partida Ramos. Ixtero Amarillo, Azul Telcruz, and Brocha. Sandalwood, orange, vanilla ice cream, burnt caramel, and spearmint. I like this a lot!
AE-XXSJR. Special edition ensamble of Espadin, Tepextate, and Tobala. Fresh jalapeño, bell pepper, vanilla. Salty with a slight acetone finish.
ARMB-02. Black pepper, cooked agave, cinnamon, and roasted banana. Good Barril!
RMS-01. Flowers and spices! Clove, caramel, and black pepper. Nice.
RMA-08. My favorite Real Minero. Very complex, interesting, well made Mezcal. Love this one!
XBP14-18. Nicely balanced. This was definitely made by someone who knows what they are doing. Warming spices. Cinnamon, clove, allspice. Brown sugar and caramel. Sweet but in a good way. Not at all bitter or floral or fruity, just woody, warm, and spicy. Good complexity. I dig this one.
SBG-T1903. Cloyingly sweet. Orange marmalade and corn syrup. Way too sweet for me. Slight chemical taste.
AA006. Overpowering clay, like drinking out of a raw clay mug that hadn’t been fired yet. Very dry. Strong sandalwood flavor, mint, menthol, cinnamon, clove, allspice.
