Manuel Olivera
Desolas
46%
6 months
Desolas Reposado is an aged Salmiana mezcal distilled by mezcalero Manuel Olivera in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Agaves are cooked in above-ground ovens, extracted with a roller mill and distilled in copper before aging six months in ex-bourbon casks. Desolas says that the bottling, which debuted in November 2025, it the first barrel-aged Salmiana mezcal on the market.
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A whirlwind of sweet and citric aromas. Hints of lemon juice, clementine, balsamic vinegar and guanabana. There's plenty of that dry herbs and grass vibe often found in Salmiana mezcals, and, on the total opposite end of the spectrum, a sugary undercurrent that reminds me of cream soda. Wildly unique.
Salted caramel, honey candies and gentle vanilla glide across the palate with a silky mouthfeel. It's surprisingly sweet stuff, with tons of oak presence from a mere six months in the cask. Distinct flavors of tangerine, flower petals, grassiness and slate minerality remind you that this is a mezcal. It's got a pleasant punch of raw agave, some black pepper and little to no smoke.
A lick of ethanol creeps up on the finish, grazing the back of the throat. Apart from that, the finish has a cooling bite, packing in hints of green apple, lavender, chamomile and tons more honey candy.
On paper, the arid flavor of Salmiana mezcal really shouldn't work with ex-bourbon casks. One zigs, the other zags; one tastes of hay, the other of crème brûlée. Desolas, however, managed to to dispel any reservations I had about the odd combo. This is one of the best aged mezcals I've tried, packing in loads of eccentric flavor you wont find anywhere else on the shelf.
90
Disclosure: The producer provided this sample to review free of charge, and without expectation of review or rating.
