Lot: 04032215
Nose – Charred Anaheim peppers. Grilled nopal cactus. Light powder sugar. A hint of Parmesan cheese.

Palate – A light entry but then big, booming flavors in the middle onward. Pine wood ember. Red bell pepper. Mint leaf. Roasted poblano pepper. Slightly buttery. Grilled corn on the cob. Sea salt. This is like a open-flame, veggie BBQ – a fabulous tepeztate. 👌

Lot: AT1029C Bottle: 246/500
Nose – Vanilla Sprite. Chalk dust.

Palate – Medium+ viscosity. Spearmint. Tiger lily petals. A tiny bit of basil. A Dr. Pepper ice cream float. This has a soda like mouth feel – a sweet, carbonation tingle – very nice. I really like this and the Animas brand as a whole!

Lote: M-10 Bottle: 251/560
Nose – Creamy vanilla. Tiny bit of mint leaf. Light cottage cheese.

Palate – Complex, a lot going on and hard to pin down the plethora of flavors. Boba tea. Baked apple. All spice. Peppermint heat. Dry grass, Himalayan salt and vanilla latte in the finish that goes on for days. Pretty fantastic stuff!

Nose – Root vegetables. Garden soil.

Palate – Vanilla cream – a tad sour. Granny Smith apple peels/skins. Flower stems. Chalky finish.

Nose – Light cream and powdered sugar. A slight garden soil aroma.

Palate – Green and earthy at first. Overpowering smoked gruyere middle. Finish is ashy and bitter with an ethanol harshness. Quite hot for 45% ABV.

Nose – Sweet meaty aromas – Brown sugar and charred pork. Clay.

Palate – Thick and rich! Big time camp fire ember and ash from start to finish (and lingering long thereafter). 7up syrup. Dried cherry. That classic (and delicious) RM clay. A good Minas Barril but quite intense. I’d say this is about a 3.75 stars but will knock it back due to price.

A 2 oz. copita from Piedra Santa in TJ. 🇲🇽

Nose – Carrot tops. Cheesecake tarts. Green, sweet and creamy aromas.

Palate – A big funky, creamy cheesecake note to start. It fades midway to a tangy, dry finish. Long aftertaste of sweet clay flavors. Viscosity on the lighter side. A tasty tobala.

This was a 2 oz. copita at Piedra Santo in Tijuana.

LOT: 003-TPZ
Nose – Very vegetal aromas! Scallions. Cocktail onions. Watermelon rind.

Palate – A sweet, fruity turn to start (versus the veggie heavy nose). Dried tropical fruit – papaya and pineapple. Green pepper vegetal note. Oak-ember ash. These flavors BOOM in an extended finish. Not as hot as advertised, to me it tastes around 49-50% heat wise but big, clean flavors overall. I really like this Tepeztate!

LOT: 003-ESP/48
Nose – Vanilla. Light caramel candy apple.

Palate – Vanilla bean. Light orange citrus. Oak ember ashiness. Very long finish. Pretty straightforward but damn tasty. Fantastic espadin sipper.

LOT: 006-ESP/40
Nose – Sea salt. Green apple Jolly Rancher. Mandarin orange citrus.

Palate – Light smoke for a 40% ABV espadin. Vanilla cream. Fruit cocktail. Very mild parmesan cheese. Almond milk. Pleasantly salty finish. I’m giving this 4.5 stars as I think it’s a very sippable 40% ABV mezcal, there aren’t too many out there. I imagine this would be a great cocktail mezcal.

Batch: GS001 (2021) Bottle: 083
Nose – Fresh celery leaf. Anise. Beef jerky. Clean, subtle aromas.

Palate – Pleasant mouth feel, medium viscosity. Sharp, clean flavors of black licorice candy and clay from start to finish. A slight half & half creaminess lingering in the background. A great sotol!

LOT: 004-TBL
Nose – Subtle sweet tropical aromas. Honeycomb. Slightly starchy (baby red potato). Very clean.

Palate – Dried papaya. Dried apricot. Heat is a tad light for 48% ABV. Sprite soda and baked green apple in the long, tasty finish. This is a crushable mezcal. Dangerously good!

Nose – Rosy. Sugary. A starchy note like fresh cooked pasta. Very vibrant and enticing aromas.

Palate – Tropical banana fruitiness and an arid, desert (dry grass) feel at the same time – quite a unique combination. Raw almond nuttiness. This also has a certain richness like a mezcal made from the quiote (rather than the pina). A long, herbal aftertaste with a hint of vanilla. Pretty awesome sotol!!!

This was a 1.5 oz. sample from top mezcal reviewer and longtime Kenny G enthusiast, Rahkal. Lot 2.

Nose – Lemonade. Icing sugar. Peppermint heat. Cottage cheese.

Palate – Smarties Halloween candy. Woody. Parm cheese. Dry and fruity in the finish – like a champagne and lemonade mimosa. Quality tobacco aftertaste and some bitterness. A fantastic warmth to this. Isidro is a master!

Nose – Like falling into a sea of brand, new racquetballs. An extremely rubber-forward aroma but somehow still pleasant.

Palate – Solid heat for 49% ABV, I perceive it to be low 50’s level at least. Slightly higher than medium viscosity, great mouth feel. A bit herbal / medicinal. Fresh mint leaf – almost a mojito bomb. Incredibly intense flavors overall and the finish / aftertaste go on for days. I’ll still be tasting this at breakfast but do quite enjoy this sotol.

This was a 1.5 oz. sample from mezcal reviewer and only man to ever to body slam AND beat Andre the Giant in a drinking contest, Rahkal. Lot 5.

Nose – Old tennis shoe soles. Good n’ Plenty candies. Beef fat.

Palate – Wood-s’plosion! Fresh cut birch and pine. Menthol. Slight cinnamon gum spice / heat to it. Very herbal finish and a leathery, funky barnyard note in the (long) aftertaste – which I enjoy.

1.5 oz. sample from mezcal reviewer and James Hetfield’s wingman for the entire US leg of the Black Album tour, Rakhal. Lot 5.

Nose – Magic Marker. Toluene. Rose petals. Dandelions.

Palate – Generic brand grapefruit juice. Turkey jerky. Dandelion stems. Listerine Original (Light yellow colored) mouthwash. Ethanol finish and Splenda aftertaste. Starts decent but sub-par finish. I don’t hate it – had better, had worse.

This was a 1.5 oz. sample from stylin’ mezcal reviewer, Rahkal (Lot 2).

Nose – Mint leaf. Anise. A slight funky feta cheese note.

Palate – Celery leaf. Black licorice. Purple grape juice. An old mint candy that would be on your grandma’s coffee table. A tad hot for 45% ABV.

Comme ci, comme ca. I bought a 200 mL bottle of this which seems just right.

Lot. No. 138A Bottle No. 6722
Nose – Caramel popcorn. Flax seed. Very light aromas and overall smoke.

Palate – What it lacks in aroma it makes up in flavor. A pleasant heat for 40% ABV. Candied apple. Oak ember type smokiness. Roasted agave, sea salt and toffee highlight a nice, long finish. A great reposado mezcal!

Nose – Crazy vegetal! Like opening a jar of cocktail onions. Fried green peppers. Black pepper. Olive oil.

Palate – Fried egg yolk. White pepper heat. Old leather. Very light powder sugar sweetness. Raw Anaheim pepper. Fried yellow onions.

Good stuff, one of the more unique mezcales I’ve tried in a while.