I doubt I'll ever be experienced enough with mezcal to guess agave varietals. Which makes me wonder how to go about selecting future mezcal. Probably a good bet to stick with producers I've liked. I seem to be having a lot less luck choosing my mezcals based on agave. I thought I loved madrecuishe after a few exceptional ones then had trouble finding one I liked enough to buy after running through a handful of samples. Curious how you go about selecting new mezcal. How do you prioritize the following criteria: distiller, production methods, agave type, trusted reviews?
Notes were messaged to Don for the reveal.
NOSE
Kris: Green, wet forest. Pine sap. Spicy chocolate. The nose is transportive. I'm hiking in northern Michigan.
Corina: Fresh Smoky Mountain air. River rocks. Wet, cut grass.
We're both in love.
FLAVOR
Kris: Cedar. Evergreen branches. Skunky hops. Lemon zest. Caramel. More fresh forest on the back-end.
Corina: Woodsy and sticky with sap. Wet cement.
I'm blown away - crazy about this.
Too overpowering on the palate for Corina - washing out the flavors.
Palate Structure: Endlessly rolling. Swelling. Dynamic. Sticky. High, low and everything in between.
Alcohol Integration: Total scorcher (120 proof?). Never drops flavor for me. Super definition.
Score: 9 (Stash Two) Totally unique. What I imagine Charbay III tastes like. I want more.
Corina, "Nose was fantastic. Palate was too much, but everything was interesting enough that I enjoyed the experience."
Reveal: Reyna Sanchez Puntas with Mota (Collab with Alvin Starkman) - Madrecuixe - 74.6%
Post Reveal: This was a madrecuixe with marijuana added to the third distillation. Two liters were pulled at still strength (149.2 proof) before the rest was brought down to 100 proof. Wow. Incredible experience. It's hot, but in no world would Corina or I guess this was ~150 proof. Extraordinary.
Rating System
10 - Reevaluate The Budget
9 - Stash Two (If Able)
8 - Stash One (At The Right Price)
7 - Highly Recommend It To Strangers
6 - Solid - Above Average
5 - Acceptable For The Situation
4 - Not Vocally Complaining
3 - Wish I Was Drinking Something Else
2 - Nothing Nice To Say
1 - Drain Pour