Burrito Fiestro Mezcal Joven 40%
Tasted: Jun 2017
Pungent, almost biscuit spirit nose with ascetic agave and hints of earth, pepper and manure. Very natural in character, but….!
The palate is softer, creamier and peppery with like the nose some ascetic agave and earth. Good spicy finish with lingering pepper and raw agave notes.
La Purrita Verda Mescal Joven 40%
Is produced by Pierde Almas in San Juan del Rio
LOT 01-LPV/ Tasted: July 2014
A very estery and fruity nose with plenty of lightly pulped, peppery Agave. It has an almost Spey-like fruitiness along with a touch of herbal but sweet smoke.
The palate is dry and soft. Quite fleshy and fruity with a real vibrant smokiness along with some lightly pulped Agave fruit, pepper and hints of raw sugar. Very full with a lingering black pepper finish.
Papadiablo Especial Mescal 47%
Produced in Miahuatlan in the highlands of Mexico, this is distilled using a copper still heated by log fire. Four types of agave are used – Madrecuishe, Bicuishe, Mexicana and Espadin.
Lot PPD-003/ Tasted: July 2014
Seriously pungent ‘off the still’ aromas but they are balanced buy a lovely sweetness. Like the Del Mageuy there is a touch of white spirit vinegar and a gentle sweet, pulped Agave note.
The palate is soft and lightly smoked with plenty of delicious Agave flavours. Like the nose there is a touch of ‘off the still’ oiliness and the alcohol gives it quite a bite. Good, long, black pepper finish along with a subtle, dry smokiness.
Ilegal Mezcal Joven 40%
Lot 001/ Tasted: Mar 2013
A quite appealing , soft and creamy aromas with a light pungency and a slight edgy rawness of pulped Agave along with a sweet marc like note, hints of earth, smoke, citrus (lime) and white pepper.
The palate is slightly sweet and smoky, opening with the sweet-ish Agave fruit and a developing citrus note. Very long, maybe a little hot on the finish but it has a pleasant peppery bite and the subtle sweetness lingers.
Ilegal Mezcal Reposado 40%
Four Months ageing in new American/ French oak
Lot 001/ Tasted: Mar 2013
Quite pungent aromas of lightly oiled citrus, pepper and more rounded Agave fruit. Again quite smoky, more so than the Joven with an almost iodine and smoked bacon note. The oak adds a slight butterscotch note. Quite earthy still with a touch of white pepper.
The palate is soft and quite creamy opening with some light smoke, pepper and that almost peated-earthy nuance. Quite full with a lightly oiled middle, which displays a pleasantly subtle sweetness and like the Joven a smoked meat/ savoury note is noticeable. Good length with an almost tart citrus finish, which is balanced by the sweet Agave notes and a lingering white pepper note.
Ilegal Mezcal Anejo 40%
Thirteen Months ageing in new American/ French oak
Lot 001/ Tasted: Mar 2013
A heavier, earthier, more prominently peated nose with a distinct camphor, menthol and medicinal character. Full and rounded with some soft, lightly sweetened vanillins, white pepper and smoke. It’s rich and dense but the citrus notes add an edginess.
The oak shows first on the palate with some sweet and creamy vanillins. The Agave fruit sits beneath. Again quite smoky with a light medicinal/ peaty note. Building citrus notes battle against the oak and in conjunction with the alcohol they win, flooding the palate with peppery, savoury bacon and roasted meat notes. In fact that roasted meat character is very reminiscent of an old fashioned Northern Rhone Syrah! Lovely length with a freshness to the finish along with some lingering sweet Agave notes.
Derrumbes Mezcal Oaxaca 48%
Espadrin Agave/ Lot D-001/ Dist: April 2013/ Tasted: Oct 2014
Lightly smoked aromas of pure/ natural/ earthy agave with hints of white wine vinegar, straw and devolping notes of manure and pepper. Lightly oiled and very complex
The palate shows loads of natural agave character and pepper. Gently smoked with a serious intensity. Very long and very peppery. The alcohol does ry the finish a little but it definitely has some depth!
Derrumbes MezcalOaxaca 45.9%
The new batch of Derrumbes Oaxaca is different from the previous one. It’s now 70% agave Espadin and 30%
Tobala (it used to be 100% Espadin).
Lot 6/ Btl: Feb 2017/ Tasted: Jan 2018
An intently citric nose with edgy, lightly acerbic and earthy pulped fruit. Quite mineral with an underlying sweeter agave character and a touch of smoke.
The palate is quite peppery (black pepper) and sweetly smoked with coal dust, citrus and a lovely combination of sweet and acerbic agave. Really peppery on the middle with lingering edgy agave and white pepper.
Derrumbes Mezcal Michoacan 49%
Cenizo Agave/ Lot 2/ Dist: May 2014/ Tasted: Oct 2014
The nose is pungent and smoky. Fresher than the Oaxaca with again a natural agave character. Hints of white wine vinegar and a touch of vanilla come through.
The palate is very fresh and citric with gentle pepper and white wine vinegar notes. The black pepper notes develop pleasantly to be joined by a touch of white pepper. Lovely depth and again a little dry on the finish, but the spoirit has plenty of substance to balance.
Derrumbes Mezcal Durango Mezcal 46%
Durango is the most north-eastern state in the Mezcal DO area, and is known for its wild but abundant Agave Durangensis, known locally as Cenizo (“ash”, because of the colour). Maestro Mezcalero Uriel Simental follows the traditional method of production, using a horno de tierra, tahona, natural fermentation, and small scale distillation in copper pot stills.
Tasted: Nov 2017
Intense aromas of slightly acerbic agave, which gives the nose a wild and natural fele. Subtly peppery with some lovely, fresh white fruit and mineral notes.
The palate is fresh and earthy with crisp agave, pepper and plenty of spirit character. Intense, mineral and almost citric middle, leads to a mouth-watering finish which is balanced by some sweet, pulped fruit and lingering black pepper.
Derrumbes Mezcal Zacatecas 42%
Composed of 100% Agave Tequiliana Weber, variety Azul (Blue Agave). Hacienda De Guadalupe is in Juitzila, Zacatecas, a few miles from the tequila valley just across the state border. Maestro Mezcalero Jaime Bañuelos smokes the blue agaves in a Horno de Tierra (roasting pit), then crushes them with a traditional tahona, ferments naturally with wild yeast, and distils in small copper pot stills.
Tasted: Nov 2017
The nose is full, rich and smoky with pepper and rich agave notes. Superb depth of pulped fruit along with hints of vanilla and charred wood.
The palate is full and soft with the Blue Agave giving it a very Tequila-like feel with pulped fruit and a light smokiness. Wonderfully soft with a rounded fruity character and hints of earth and charred wood. Long and fairly citric with a seriously intense mineral finish.
La Purrita Verda Mezcal Joven 40%
Is produced by Pierde Almas in San Juan del Rio
LOT 01-LPV/ Tasted: July 2014
A very estery and fruity nose with plenty of lightly pulped, peppery Agave. It has an almost Spey-like fruitiness along with a touch of herbal but sweet smoke.
The palate is dry and soft. Quite fleshy and fruity with a real vibrant smokiness along with some lightly pulped Agave fruit, pepper and hints of raw sugar. Very full with a lingering black pepper finish.
Papadiablo Especial Mezcal 47%
Produced in Miahuatlan in the highlands of Mexico, this is distilled using a copper still heated by log fire. Four types of agave are used – Madrecuishe, Bicuishe, Mexicana and Espadin.
Lot PPD-003/ Tasted: July 2014
Seriously pungent ‘off the still’ aromas but they are balanced buy a lovely sweetness. Like the Del Mageuy there is a touch of white spirit vinegar and a gentle sweet, pulped Agave note.
The palate is soft and lightly smoked with plenty of delicious Agave flavours. Like the nose there is a touch of ‘off the still’ oiliness and the alcohol gives it quite a bite. Good, long, black pepper finish along with a subtle, dry smokiness.
Del Maguey, Saint Louis Del Rio Azul 47%
Single Village Mescal/ Tasted: July 2014
Quite a raw but polished nose of pungent, lightly pulped Agave along with a a touch of white spirit vinegar and perfumed beeswax.
The palate is raw and earthy with a lovely natural character. Quite fleshy with a light smoke and vanilla note. It begins rather subtly but the intensity picks up towards the end with a long smoky Agave finish.
Bru XO ‘No1 Espadrin Mezcal Joven’ 46%
Tasted: Dec 2013
Very un-mezcal like. In fact the aromas are more like new make whisky with a distinct cereal character and hints of lemon, smoke, a touch of pepper and a touch of agave.
The palate is soft and m,ilky with some sweet, pulped agave fruit. This is more like mescal! Seriously, and I mean seriously peppery middle with both black and green peppercorns. Lightly herbal but the fleshy vanilla sweetness balances rather well. Very long, peppery (surprise!) finish.
Ilegal Mezcal Joven 40%
Lot 001
Tasted: Mar 2013
A quite appealing , soft and creamy aromas with a light pungency and a slight edgy rawness of pulped Agave along with a sweet marc like note, hints of earth, smoke, citrus (lime) and white pepper.
The palate is slightly sweet and smoky, opening with the sweet-ish Agave fruit and a developing citrus note. Very long, maybe a little hot on the finish but it has a pleasant peppery bite and the subtle sweetness lingers.
Ilegal Mezcal Reposado 40%
Four Months ageing in new American/ French oak
Lot 001/ Tasted: Mar 2013
Quite pungent aromas of lightly oiled citrus, pepper and more rounded Agave fruit. Again quite smoky, more so than the Joven) with an almost iodine and smoked bacon note. The oak adds a slight butterscotch note. Quite earthy still with a touch of white pepper.
The palate is soft and quite creamy opening with some light smoke, pepper and that almost peated-earthy nuance. Quite full with a lightly oiled middle, which displays a pleasantly subtle sweetness and like the Joven a smoked meat/ savoury note is noticeable. Good length with an almost tart citrus finish, which is balanced by the sweet Agave notes and a lingering white pepper note.
Ilegal Mezcal Anejo 40%
Thirteen Months ageing in new American/ French oak
Lot 001/ Tasted: Mar 2013
A heavier, earthier, more prominently peated nose with a distinct camphor, menthol and medicinal character. Full and rounded with some soft, lightly sweetened vanillins, white pepper and smoke. It’s rich and dense but the citrus notes add an edginess.
The oak shows first on the palate with some sweet and creamy vanillins. The Agave fruit sits beneath. Again quite smoky with a light medicinal/ peaty note. Building citrus notes battle against the oak and in conjuction with the alcohol they win, flooding the palate with peppery, savoury bacon and roasted meat notes. In fact that roasted meat character is very reminiscent of an old fashioned Northern Rhone Syrah! Lovely length with a freshness to the finish along with some lingering sweet Agave notes.
Whisky According to Chris Whiskyman 