This one really changed a lot after multiple tastings and lots of oxygen. At first it was super hot and wild and not particularly pleasant but now I think it’s delicious. The one flavor note that stands out the most for me is honey. Not the super sweet honey that comes in a plastic bear, this is like wild dark rich forest honey. I’ve never tasted this in a Mezcal so strongly before. There’s also an unusual flavor that tastes to me like the way a blow up camping mattress smells right out of the box. Weird but I like it.
Lot 1. Big melon flavors! Cantaloupe, honeydew, lemon lime soda, pear nectar, apple Jolly Rancher, and butterscotch. Tons of fruit in this one!
This is my favorite expression from Origen Raiz. It’s really interesting and I need to get a bottle to explore it more. My first impression was of burning sage like at a ceremony, also leather, roasted sunflower seeds, and it also tastes like the smell of walking through chaparral. This is a special Mezcal.
This is a delicious Sotol. Green grass, wet soil, ripe plums, prune juice, and burnt caramel.
A very interesting and unique Madrecuixe. Much more earthy than I’m used to. Like walking in the redwood forest after a rain. Decaying leaves and wet forest soil and something rich and sweet like roasted caramelized pears. Tasty.
Very aromatic. Sandalwood, incense, dusty sidewalk, and brandied cherries. Very interesting and tasty Mezcal from the Golden Triangle of Durango, Chihuahua, and Sinaloa.
Lot 1. I don’t think that I’ve ever described a Mezcal as “crushable” before, until now. This is dangerously drinkable. I’m blowing through the bottle I bought, which is really unfortunate because it doesn’t come cheap. It starts off with all those wonderful flavors that I associate with Agave Inaequidens but can never quite describe to my satisfaction. New leather, sandalwood, jasmine, lemons, limes, cantaloupe, guava, and spearmint, then I swallow and BOOM!!! An explosion of lemongrass that is beautiful and absolutely delicious!! I’m not sure what the quiote technique added to this but I definitely want to try the one without lemon grass to see if I can tell. If you can afford this one, buy it.
Whoa!! This takes the subtle flavors of the blanco and punches you in the face with them!! Incense!! Juniper!! Sandalwood!! Intensely aromatic, I dig it.
Light, soft, subtle, and meaty. Nag Champa incense, juniper, anise, and jackfruit. Really nice and an interesting counterpoint to the stronger Reserva.
Update 9/22: I have both the “Summer” and “Winter” batches and they are quite different!! The Summer is much sweeter and has way more of the eucalyptus notes that Zack mentioned. The Winter is softer and earthier with more forest floor character. I love them both.
This is excellent. Dry desert earth, wet desert earth, fudge, Medjool dates, and root beer. Deep complex flavors. I ordered a bottle as soon as I tasted it.
Wow this is delicious! I could definitely get a bottle of this! It tastes like orange liqueur, juniper, camomile tea, cinnamon sticks, and eucalyptus oil.
Tastes like someone put a bunch of Red Vines licorice in a juicer! Also artificial tasting fruit flavors and some lactic notes. Definitely worth trying but I didn’t like it.
These black label expressions are crazy good! This one is leather, drying tobacco leaves, thyme, and coffee ice cream. Delicious.
I got a ton of different flavors from this one. It is very green, reminds me of wet green vegetation, spearmint, green bell peppers, clovers, desert flowers. There is also a sweetness to it that really reminds me of candy corns, vanilla frosting, and orange soda. Some leather too. I only had about an ounce and I tried it next to the other black label Mal Biens which are so good that it probably made me rate it lower than I would have otherwise. It’s a solid Mezcal.
So beautiful. From the first sip you know that it’s something special. The word ethereal comes to mind. I want this to be my house Mezcal, with a 20L garrafón in my closet, unfortunately it’s really expensive. Definitely worth getting a bottle though. What Jonny said about it getting more and more nuanced the more you sip it is totally true. Right now though I just get this impression of flowers, fresh herbs, and garden soil. I love this.
Lot BCH-11-19. When I first opened this bottle my initial impression was that it was a bit sour and funky and nothing special, but after getting some oxygen it really changed into something delicious! Made by the legendary Bienvenido Fernandez this Mezcal is sweet, earthy, woody and floral with some really complex and delicious flavors. Garden soil, dark Muscovado sugar, chocolate malt balls, oak, bamboo, lotus blossoms, and candied coconut. Very tasty.
Lot. SOT 1. Soft and light and a bit watery. The flavors are great but it suffers from the low ABV which mutes them quite a bit. Caramel, garden soil, river rocks, fresh thyme, orange candy, white cake frosting, and custard apple. This would probably be a good introduction to Sotol for people not accustomed to strong spirits or who want something “smooth”. Bienvenido is a master but I prefer his spirits a bit stronger. Still a tasty Sotol though.
Lot: 0320CB. This is a very special Mezcal. Maybe my favorite expression of Agave Angustifolia that I have ever had. It starts out green but then quickly transforms into this deep rich sweetness that is just beautiful. It’s like an incredibly complex brown sugar, or maybe 10 different brown sugars made from 10 different types of sugar cane. There’s also sticky sweet dates, figs, and prunes. I love this so much. Apparently the batch only yielded 24 bottles, if you see this for sale don’t hesitate.
Lot:0520CB. Fresh green Granny Smith apples dipped in warm sweet caramel, tarragon, and crushed fennel. This is so delicious!!
Lot:RWPENS001. Very tasty Mezcal. Vanilla wafers, under ripe banana, butterscotch, fresh thyme, honeysuckle flowers, mango, and pineapple. Yum. It seems like NETA can do no wrong.
