Manojo Mezcal is a 100% Espadín mezcal made in San Luis del Río, Oaxaca, Mexico, co-founded by chef Enrique Olvera and produced by husband-and-wife mezcaleros Joel Velasco and Felicitas Hernández. The agave is sourced at seven to nine years old, crushed with a horse-drawn tahona, fermented in open-air wooden vats and double-distilled in copper stills. It is bottled at 43% ABV and retails for around $50.
Bright fruit and green grass aromas layer with charred rosemary and jalapeño, leading to a soft palate with light tobacco notes. A touch of warming pepper on the finish.
On my second sip, the texture came into focus: It’s light but silky. Creamy flavors come through like custard and vanilla, with that duality of sweet and BBQ again. The smokiness in this expression is so tightly tied into the sweetness that BBQ seems to be the best way to describe it.
By comparison the palate leads with lightly sweet lychee, finishing long and mouthwatering with lime peel, pink peppercorn, eucalyptus and a lightly smoky exhale.
