This is a Mezcal distilled by Jorge Mendez Ramirez using the Espadin agave for Marca Negra. Batch M21-17, Bottle 121/5325, this proves to be an interesting bottling, as I have 4 others to compare it to shortly. Let's see how it is.
Medium mouth feel - pleasant sweetness. Proof feels just right. Sweet cream, pepper, light clay and soil with a nice earthy finish. Light minerality. Excellent mouth feel as it sits. Excellent look at another Espadin - and one of my favorites so far. This does what it needs to well, and doesn't do anything poorly.
Surprisingly fruity and unsurprisingly mellow with the heat. There are still lots of green tastes in here, but the fruity notes are also very pronounced. Taste of cacao mixed with toffee, nuts, medium-roasted El Salvadoran natural coffee, papaya, pink grapefruit and dalandan. This is a whopping and delicious mezcal.
On the palate, an initial wave of sweet agave gives way to white pepper, then cooked agave, with an undertone of baked fruit. Freshly zested lime peel is next, the flavors coming so fast that it almost feels like a rollercoaster ride.
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House Review
Nose:
Bright citrus, agave nectar, vinegar, clay and some funk. Light pepper.
Taste:
Medium mouth feel - pleasant sweetness. Proof feels just right. Sweet cream, pepper, light clay and soil with a nice earthy finish. Light minerality. Excellent mouth feel as it sits.
Finish:
Short but crisp and clean. Lots of pepper, mango, light clay, then it whisps away.
Overall:
Excellent look at another Espadin - and one of my favorites so far. This does what it needs to well, and doesn't do anything poorly.
Score:
85
By t8ke
Our in house critic rates spirits on a scale of 0-10 (10 best) and is aggregated the same as external sources
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