Nose – Next level earthiness – saturated rain forest soil. I’d say two handfuls but this is almost a slurry. Red licorice and black licorice.

Palate – Black licorice – oddly, like a creamy Sambuca. It’s good! Heat builds and builds and peaks in the finish. A complex, muddy aftertaste of tobacco, cloves and icing sugar.

March 2022
Lot ACR052 Bottle 727 (April 2021)
Nose – Rock candy. Funky clay. Fish sauce.

Palate – Apple pie (slightly charred, buttery crust) baked in an oak-wood forno oven (yes, oddly specific but I worked in the kitchen that made this exact delicious dessert). Clay. Maple cream. Sea salt. Savory, sweet & ashy finish.
Rating: 4.5 stars

June 2021
No batch info.
Nose – Apple slices. Vanilla extract. Not terribly smoky but a bit more vapory than most.

Palate -Apple pie with fresh farm cream. A quality, smoky-heavy finish with a long, lingering sweet cream aftertaste.
Rating: 4 stars

Nose – Spicy sweetness of a Hot Tamale candy. Baked apple cobbler. Rubber plant.

Palate – Interesting mouth feel – viscous and a somewhat slight chalky feel (although it is crystal clear and 100% sediment free). Again, with the Hot Tamale candy, I really enjoy that. Finish is quite warm with notes of oaky smoke, anise and dark chocolate.

Great mezcal – it definitely differentiates itself (in a good way).

LOT#: YJ21-20, Bottle#: 749/5100
Nose – Cinnamon apple. Blackberry. Clove. Heavy fragrance of fruits and spices but can’t pick up the turkey pechuga aspect. Very inviting nevertheless.

Palate – This doesn’t make good on the promise on the nose. A lot of pine. Fruits/spices are there but accompanied by soapy, ethanol flavors. The meat component isn’t there for me either. I really want to like this more. This is a mid-range priced mezcal but you’re better off committing extra money to move into a premium pechuga option (i.e. Cinco Sentidos).

Nose – Funky guava note. BBQ Hawaiian chicken – sweet n’ meaty.

Palate – I’m a big fan of cow hide fermentation. A nice, hot punch midway through then almost a cooling, evaporative effect shortly after. Finish is exceptional – a charred meaty smokiness like a pineapple- marinated (hat tip to Rakhal – bbq pineapple is spot on!) sirloin charred on an oak campfire grill. Clam shell saltiness to complete the surf ‘n turf aspect.

David Rivera – ya frickin’ nailed it, buddy!

Nose – Toasted butterscotch. Canned pears.

Palate – Fruity, syrupy sweetness like canned fruit cocktail. Nice bump in heat in the middle. Great, extended finish – hickory smoke and orange marmalade.

Nose – Wet planting soil. Nice floral aspect like a bunch of fresh picked violets.

Palate – This one is a nice, slow burn. The floral theme continues jasmine and oddly what I imagine tiger lily petals would taste like. Honeydew melon. Mouth feel is a bit flat but the finish is a fantastic heat. A smoky potpourri aftertaste.

Tio Tello, you’re rock solid!

Nose – Fig newton cookies. Pencil eraser. A syrupy cherry almond note that reminds me of Disaronno Amaretto.

Palate – Big sweet, opening (a tasty Ajwa date flavor). Dried apricots as well. A little hot in the middle and finish for 45%.

Overall, pretty darn tasty though.

Nose – Rose water. Definitely a whiff of sweet funkiness… like a sour rice pudding.

Palate – Salt lick, ethanol heat and smoke-heavy to start and they manage to linger the whole way through (along with the funk from the nose). Undertones of 7up soda, dark chocolate and rose petal. This has great complexity and potential but it’s in the background.

Nose – Funk of old, sharp cheese and aged meat. Notes of icing sugar.

Palate – The queasy funkiness that I associate (and love) with a 50+ day aged, well-marbled ribeye steak. Peppermint. Sea salt. Smoke from an oak campfire. The cow hide fermentation really comes through in the nose and palate. This is pretty steady from start to finish. Very unique, very tasty! This was a 2 oz. pour at Destilado in Oaxaca on May 28, 2021 (No batch info). Rated it: 4.5 stars.

Nov. 6, 2021 Update – Procured a bottle of this from Tahona Mercado (Batch: PM05-18).
Nose – Cheesy funky, slightly smoky goodness. Powdered sugar.

Palate – Crushed mint. Slightly bitter. Lean aged beef (not marbled and fatty like the previous review). Oaky smoke. Flavors aren’t as explosive as I remembered but still an awesome mezcal. Rated it: 4.25 stars.

Nose – Banana bread. BBQ grilled pineapple chicken.

Palate – An exceptional, slightly viscous, mouth feel. A sweet, baking richness of caramelized brown sugar and melted butter. A dynamite mint heat. Some clay notes. Finish is salty, sweet and a bit meaty – like smoked teriyaki turkey jerky.

So much going on, I love it! Don Temo knocks this outta the park!

Nose – Wet forest – a combo of moss and pine.

Palate – Heavy black licorice, semi sambuca initially then dissipates. Great complexity and tough to nail down. Pleasant heat. Very dry finish but the flavor goes on for days – an interesting smoky cherry ice cream note. A little bit underwhelming for the price point.

Nose – Light minerality and sweetness.

Palate – Papaya. Hot in the middle but still very nice. Clay finish is dry and morphs from a fruity to vanilla sweetness. Great smoke profile the whole way through. Solid! – 4 Stars

10/23/2021 Update:
The above review was a 2 oz. sample in Puro Burro bar in Oaxaca Centro. I recently bought a bottle of this in California for $51 (Lot: S-01E-20 – February 2020). Crazy value here! I bumped my rating up to 4.5 stars.

LOTE: GZHME170517EJ
Nose – Vegetal but extremely subtle.

Palate – An initial serrano pepper heat that quickly fades. Then smokey, salted butterscotch that lasts and lasts. A very long, pleasant finish. Great stuff!

Nose – Weak nose aside from a hint of barrel noted vanilla.

Palate – More going on but not enough to differentiate it from a run of the mill reposado espadin. Oaky. Mostly vanilla. Bit of a rough finish / aftertaste. Not bad, no great.

Nose – Massive vanilla notes, almost like a vanilla coke.

Palate – Vanilla explosion out of the gates, then that sweetness settles down some. Finish is nicely balanced – vanilla, saline and smoke. This is an espadin I’d like to try at a higher ABV, I feel it could really pop.

LOT: DVCTE0320
Nose – Pleasant, wet forest. Sweetness of a mandarin orange.

Palate – Perfectly ripe banana. Baking spices. Vegetal note of a green bell pepper. None which overpower one another. Exceptional balance. Big rock candy and a touch of sea salt in a long finish. Ridiculously smooth from beginning to end.

LOT: DVCMA0518
Nose – Fresh pea pods (like in my grandparent’s garden). Undoubtedly!

Palate – Mouth feel is pillowy soft (not at all viscous though). Vanilla to start then the heat picks up. Garden pea notes hanging round but not as pronounced as in the nose. Finish is quite dry and a bit tangy. Lingering aftertaste is salty combined with cigar smoke.

Overall, enjoyable mezcal but probably better options in this high end range.

Nose – Fluffy vanilla cake.

Palate – Incredibly soft mouth feel. Notes of cheesecake but not too heavy. The sweetness in the finish fades to a savory, almost oyster sauce, and a tasty smoke.

Doesn’t feel like a 52% espadin, it holds the heat well.

Nose – Balance of sweet and a funky, sourness lurking in the background.

Palate – A lot of dark chocolate. The nice sour aspect from the nose is there, subtle though. Finish has a peppermint heat.

Only a 1 oz sample but Ieft me wanting more.