Tastes

Batch 1, 2018 by Santos Juarez. Definitely got the funk. Aromas of cheese (blue cheese mixed with cream cheese), strawberries, chalk, play-doh, barnyard aromas, very earthy yet herbal like a good rooibos tea, grilled brocollini, grapefruit pith, and smoldering earth notes, amongst other stuff I can’t quite put my finger on. Taste is very green upfront with loads of roasted agave and tropical notes like papaya and mango along with butter toffee which goes into a beautiful mineral note like wet cement which lasts through the long smoky finish with more roasted agave and blueberries peeking through. This is a wondrous raicilla and one of the best agave spirits I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. So much going on.

Edition: 16, Harvest: 2017, 48%ABV Rafael Mendez Cruz The old gnarly tepeztate...Aromas of bubblegum, a bit earthy (bails of hay or dry leaves), VERY “green” of the likes of bell peppers, grilled asparagus, and poblano peppers. Some mango-like tropical notes are evident as well as some green herbal and floral notes. Lots going on here but it’s very harmonious. Taste is loaded with bright green bell pepper and poblano peppers, very spicy, grassy, more green herbs, vanilla/cinnamon, just a touch of mint, and finishes with a nice earthy smokiness with that chili pepper spiciness still tingling on the tongue. Awesome Tepeztate! I also have a bottle of the Edition 15/2016 from Ignacio Parada that I’m eager to compare to this one. If it’s anything like this, it’s worth the money. If you dig earthy, green vegetal, herbal, spicy mezales, this one is for you. It tastes like it's age.

Edition: 13, Harvest 2016, 47%ABV Ignacio Parada Smells of ashtray and paint thinner with some subtle roasted vegetables trying to poke through but keeps being overtaken by alcohol fumes. Taste is a little better with earthy vegetable notes, subtle tropical fruits, and clay-like minerality but then the finish kills it again. It's reminiscent of menthol cigarettes along with a harsh bitterness. This is by far the worst EJ bottle that I have had yet. For the money I laid down for it, I hope it gets better with time but that means I have to drink it to get to that point.

Edition 08: / Harvest: 2006 / 47.8% ABV Rafael Méndez Cruz According to the label, this espadin was harvested at the age of 10 years. Further research reveals that this edition was made from wild angustifolia agave that were cultivated as a capon, where the flowering stalk of the pina is cut before the quiote shoots up, which leaves all the sugars that would have been used as energy for the quiote instead stay concentrated within the pina. Also, after distillation this edition was supposedly rested in glass for an additional 10 years which oxidizes the spirit and rounds out/harmonizes all the flavors. Aromas of vanilla, blueberries, grilled asparagus, and slight wintergreen. Flavor has more impact with notes of roasted agave, raw broccoli, vanilla, herbs, and wintergreen atop a buttery caramel backbone. The minty caramel notes continue into the medium-length finish with a sprinkle of black pepper and pine. Very smooth for it's nearly 48% abv. All-in-all, an excellent espadin and one of the very best showcasings of this predominantly used agave.