Del Maguey Chichicapa Mezcal

Disappointing. Has a prominent butterscotch offnote in the finish and not much complexity overall. Even the Vida is better. Worst of the 5 Del Magueys I’ve tried, the others being barril, tobasiche and san luis del rio

It took me the better part of a decade to learn how to find and identify flavor profiles in whisky, which explains my migration from Gentleman Jack and JW Black Label to ECBP and Laphroaig. It is not the fault of this Mezcal that I entered the fight punching well above my class, and therefore haven’t the proper words to describe it. There are flavors here that I can describe only as ‘vegetal’ and ‘mineral’ and ‘smoky’, none of which do it justice. This is really, really, good. Stunningly, amazingly good. It offers a fresh, clean change from whisky and you should try it.

On the nose, nuts, gunpowder, grilled pineapple, earth, wet cement, petrichor, wood smoke, vanilla, grass and lettuce. Also, in retrospect, I like the screeching hot brakes comment from @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington. Spot on. Rich, smoky, mineral, vegetal and moderately sweet on the palate, with vanilla, agave, smoke, grilled pineapple, salt, wood, white pepper, ash and gravel flavors. Overall very complex, and very earthy and green, but also substantially ashy and smoky. Incorporates a broad spectrum of mezcal aromas and flavors. Funny, I didn’t think it was that smoky at first, but perhaps that’s on account of the complexity. The emptier my glass got, the more I thought I was sitting at a campfire.

Clear as water but plenty of discrete, thin legs to say otherwise. Smokey and vegetal with a hint of sweetness, but really just a hint. Waves of salt open the nose and then screeching hot tires (dash of overcooked brake pads as well), toasted cedar, grilled pineapple, bell pepper, clay, lemon mascarpone and agave sugar eventually settle in. Loads of ash, rubber tire, grilled peppers, burnt sugar, pineapple and maybe a hint of bitter citrus rind. So this, for me, has some redeeming qualities as compared to my dreaded Bozal Tepezate experience. But not many. I’m more of a fruit than vegetable sort of guy and this is still largely slanted toward the dry, tarry, earthy side. There is some sweetness that sneaks in to prevent it from being unbalanced and maybe with time the tar and rubber will dissipate a bit and expose additional notes. For now I struggle to appreciate it.

Not a ton of smoke, but so nice and warm, briney and salty, and lingers for a bit. Fantastic