Notes: Cinco Sentidos - Pichomel y Papalome
Cinco Sentidos Pichomel y Papalome (2019) - 47.3%
From Cinco Sentidos: This 121-liter batch (151 bottles) was distilled by maestro mezcalero Atelo Ramirez in the town of Reyes Metzontla, Puebla. Atelo wild-harvested ~20 agave Papalome and ~30 PIchomel from the Zapotitlan region in Southeast Puebla, ~ 6,000 feet above sea level. Atelo and his wife Laura roasted the agave in an underground conical pit oven for seven days. After cooking, Atelo hand-mashed the agave with a wooden mallet and allowed them to ferment naturally with spring water for 16 days. The fermented mash and tepache were then distilled twice in a hybrid still made of galvanized steel, clay, and copper.
“La Colección Mixteca” is a curated selection of small-batch agave spirits crafted in the rustic distilleries of the mountainous Mixteca region of Oaxaca and Puebla. Each bottling explores the maestro mezcalero’s interpretation of subjecting agave endemic to the region to peculiar production methods and styles that have largely fallen out of favor in modern times. A significant portion of sales from the collection will be used for palenque improvement projects.
Notes: The nose is all over the place in a great way. Watermelon shrub, Butterscotch Lifesavers, smoked Granny Smith apples, jicama, grilled potatoes, freshly sliced radish. Complexity continues on the palate: butterscotch, jackfruit, smoked grapefruit, charred lime, incense, Chartreuse-y/resin-y herbaceousness. Loops back to butterscotch candy and cleans up with dried roots and white tea.
Recommend this to: With all that fruit…high ester, Jamaican rum fans. They also won’t mind when it dries out or loses its grip.
Score: 8 (Stash One) Love the way the acidic fruit and smoked notes compliment each other where the structure spikes and dries out. The candied fruit elements balance the acidity well. Total rollercoaster that retains its composure. On the odd sip, things can feel slightly out of harmony, but this definitely sings.
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 - Anything Else To Drink?
2 - Nothing Nice To Say
1 - Drain Pour