Del Maguey Arroqueño Mezcal

Possibly the best mezcal I’ve ever tried, and this is coming from someone who prefers tequilas and aged ones at that. Full of flavors papaya, pineapple, melon, mango, loads of citrus on the palate, a little smoke, a little dark chocolate, green apples, and most importantly, tastes like actual and explosive cooked and caramelized agave.

Nose: Warm, full, inviting, malty (!?!). Lord, is this really mezcal? There are flashes of Ardbeg in this!!! Deep herbal tones and a rich melange of fruit and smoke. This is, without exception, the best nose I've ever encountered on a mezcal. Smoked asparagus of the highest order, fragrant vegetal aromas, elusive citrus notes and fleeting sooty smoke. It is ... divine. Palate: Warm, rich, rounded, complex, minty, slightly astringent, herbal, asparagus and finally sweet. That's just the arrival - and it's monumental. The palate develops sweet melon and fruity notes, but it's like fruit salad in rose-petal and frankincense infused syrup. This is not common fresh fruit. Chocolate and very subtle smoke notes appear as well. The texture is - absent - in the best way. You hardly notice you have liquid in your mouth. Finish: Short. Suave, sweet and genteel with not a single off note. A blissful and entirely satisfying finale. Stunning. This is quite simply the best mezcal I've tasted, bar none. It is the benchmark against which all mezcal should be judged. The official tasting notes here are a bit ... odd ... but I can't disagree with the score. My profound thanks to @PBMichiganWolverine via way of @Soba45 for the rare opportunity to taste this. I am envious of your prices and availability in the US. We had no allocation here, and even if we had it would have been three times the price. "Outstanding" : 90/100 (5 stars)

It's January, and I have Mezcal on my mind.  It's not inspired by the the New England winter, but by a pending trip to LA and San Diego.  That's obviously not Mexico, but wonderfully close.  Also, I've been doing Duolingo Spanish lessons on a nightly basis, occasionally with an evening dram.  So breaking open a sample of Del Maguey Arroqueno, courtesy of @pbmichiganwolverine, was in order. The verdict? Stunningly good.  The 98 expert and 4.5 user ratings are entirely reasonable, in my opinion.  The nose is solid, with agave and citrus, but the palate is bold, complex, and balanced.  It features lime, orange, pepper, aloe, mild smoke, and very dark chocolate.  Each of these flavor notes are clear, distinct and powerful.  I'm sure I'd find more if I had a full bottle to work through. Which could happen, because I think I've scoped out a couple of bottles in San Diego.  Fingers crossed...

The 12 drams of xmas aka Santas presents aka PBMs shipment continues. You know when you were a kid and the chocolate advent calendars and your parents only let you eat..one...chocolate...each...day. Well screw that I'm having two advent drams tonight. Well 4 actually as each is a double dram. But hey I looked after my kids and two others and worked nearly a full day so damit I deserve it! #2 is this beauty. Damn there is a lot going on here. I won't repeat the distiller, PBMs and RMs descriptors so read those if you want tasting notes. Very rich and complex. Personally whilst I love Mezcal a dram or two is enough for me though as the tequila like profile does detract a bit for me. Still great dram. Thanks Santa / PBM!

Whoa - all the flavors. Sweet smoke, pepper, tropical fruit, and anise. Approachable, but don't try to drink it in a lineup with... anything else.