Lot: CM-ME-1
A lot of metallic and chemical flavors. Copper pipes, bitter tea, nail polish remover, strawberry jam, shoe polish, vanilla, and sandalwood. After some air it got better in the glass. The harsher chemical flavors went away and the vanilla became more prominent.

1oz sample no batch number. Lamata does it again! Another beautiful unique spirit. Subtle, soft, fruity, and floral. This is delicious!!! A hint of expensive perfume in an empty elevator. Lotus flower tea. After a few seconds all the floral elements coalesce into a deep fruity citrus flavor like Tang or Sunny D. This is fantastic.

Lamata is easily one of my favorite brands. Most of their expressions are completely unique which is something I always look for in a Mezcal. This is definitely unique. To me it tastes like someone took half a can of creamed corn and made a dirty martini in it. Whoa this is a trip! Canned corn and olive brine are the main flavors I’m getting from this, there’s also a sweet and savory flavor like an oatmeal cookie. Another rare piece of art from Lamata.

CM-M-0821
Kind of watery and metallic tasting. The same vanilla and caramel flavor that the other Casa Manglar expressions I’ve tasted have. Some cinnamon as well. Not terrible but not my favorite.

JAI-BAR-001. This is my third time tasting this Barril and I love it more and more!! It reminds me of all things sweet, dark, and sticky. It’s decadent. Brown sugar, nutmeg, peat, brûléed sugar, hot dark chocolate fudge, table salt, dark chocolate mousse, and a Peppermint Altoids finish. Damn this is tasty!

ILD-JAB-001. Even after all these years I never cease to be amazed by the seemingly infinite range of flavors that can come out of Agave. This is an incredibly complex Mezcal and tastes nothing like any other Jabali I’ve tasted before. This Mezcal is intensely aromatic, both in smell and in taste. I taste a ton of wood flavors. Somehow this tastes like an Armagnac that had rested in new oak for decades until it became sharply tannic and then reduced until it was highly concentrated. Wow!! These aren’t actually my favorite flavors and I doubt I’ll finish this one quickly but it’s so complex and interesting that I’m glad I have it. Also I can totally see myself growing to love this. Besides the Armagnac notes I get pine cleaner, sandalwood, menthol, new car smell, oak tannins, vinyl upholstery, fabric softener, and dried oregano. I freaking love the Maguey Melate Mezcal Club, keep these unique Mezcals coming!!!

Lot: CM-ET-0821
Caramel, vanilla, allspice, clove, oak, brown sugar, roasted almonds, bitter ashy finish. I have mixed feelings about this one because some sips are great but others have a bitter/smoky/ashy finish that I don’t like. The Tobala adds complexity to the Espadin but honestly I prefer the Espadin.

Lot: CM-E-0821
Big caramel and vanilla notes, powdered sugar, banana pudding, chocolate malt balls. Initially I got a slightly vegetal and metallic finish but it completely went away after 10 minutes of air. For $38 a bottle this is very good. Not a lot of complexity but plenty of flavor.

This is tasty! You can definitely still taste the Agave. I would like to try it after 4 months instead of eight but the wood is not overwhelming. Light brown sugar, peanut brittle, vanilla extract, apple juice, a drag on an unlit cigarette, wood varnish, nutmeg, particle board, and Heath toffee. As far as wood aged Mezcals go, this one is pretty good. The small Añejo bottle that came with it had lost all traces of Agave flavor, I would have preferred to taste the same Espadin unaged but that probably wasn’t possible. I’m glad I have this in my collection for friends to taste what a wood aged Mezcal is like.

Lot 01. At first I was disappointed by this one. I got a lot of ethanol and chemical flavors and it wasn’t complex at all, but after being open a couple months I revisited it and it’s completely different. It’s clean and pure and beautifully subtle. It’s still not complex but it now seems to me like a classy refined Sotol. Vanilla, mineral rich spring water in a desert oasis, cedar chest filled with antiques. I’m so glad I have a bottle of this!! This is a great example of how Agave and Sotol spirits can sometimes change with time after you open them.

Lot 01. Distilled with venison, orange, and anise. This is very tasty but I can’t really taste much of the Agave. It’s a little gamey and meaty with flavors of candied orange peel, star anise, and Earl Grey tea. I dig it and would definitely recommend it to people who love Pechugas, but I doubt I’d buy a second bottle.

This is delicious!! It’s sweet and fresh and very complex. I’m tasting so many things in this spirit! It kind of reminds me of Salmiana and Tepextate but it’s definitely it’s own thing. Root beer, cream soda, strawberry soda, white Tic Tacs, white chocolate, dried oak, brandied cherries, green bell pepper, and Sativa flower. This is such a joy to just lay back and slowly sip while the different flavors just keep coming.

Lot LDMDGOEX-02. Spicy and delicious! Sandalwood, new sneakers, ginger, and black pepper.

Really watery. Sugar coated orange gummy candy, dusty records, lime-aid concentrate, and Sprite.

1oz sample. No batch number.
I love this one. It’s deep, dark, sweet, and woody. If I had a blindfold on I would have thought it was an aged Armagnac. Crazy! Root Beer, date syrup, Thompsons raisins, Armagnac, oak, allspice, nutmeg, tamarind, and guava paste. Whoever picks the batches for Lamata has a great palate, and is dedicated to finding truly unique Mezcals.

1oz sample. No batch number.
Yet another unique and delicious work of art from Lamata. The Tepehuano community makes some incredible Mezcals. I’ve had three different “Tepe” expressions from Mezonte and now this one from Lamata, all amazing. Apple Jolly Rancher, Amaretto, brandied cherries, Bourbon, leather briefcase, and Ceylon cinnamon. Delicious!

1oz sample. No batch number.
When I visited Berta back in 2019 the Cuishe was my favorite expression of hers. She’s a special woman with a great story and a very talented Mezcalera. This Mezcal is sweet, herbal, and floral. Sweet pineapple syrup, Yellow Chartreuse, Green Chartreuse, and carnations.

1oz sample. No batch number.
A solid Tepextate. Fresh jalapeño, green bell pepper, spearmint, tarragon, vanilla extract, and milk chocolate.

Sometimes a certain Mezcal will just bring me to a different place. Every time I taste this one I get an impression of cool water. Not that it’s watery at all, it isn’t, but there’s just something about it that makes me think of cool mineral rich water from a rocky spring high in the desert. Fresh herbs and flowers. Linens in the cool morning air hanging from a clothesline in a grassy field. Every time I taste this one I get these impressions. I really want to meet Celedonio some day, I have a feeling that all of his Mezcals are special.

So sad to hear Silvestre died of Covid. He was obviously a talented Mezcalero because this is a solid Madrecuixe. Lavender, green bell pepper, sandalwood, salty pistachio shells, and Fuji apple. It’s a unique Madrecuixe and I like it.