Del Maguey VIDA Mezcal

Del Maguey Vida *NOSE: Ash, Wet Straw, Stewed Pear, Canned Green Beans, Freshly Cracked Pepper, lots of Herbal Notes and Damp Earth. *NEAT: Mimics the Nose fairly well. No real surprises. Lots of Ash. Motor Oil & New Tires (If you’ve spent time in an old service station/garage, you know what I mean, that smell gets in your mouth and you taste it). There is an almost sugary sweetness mid to back of the palate. The herbal quality is also there. That Oily, Ashy note coats and lingers and hangs around quite a while. As it fades, it becomes that taste/sensation you get when you dislodge a chunk of Black Pepper that managed to end up between a couple back molars at dinner. There is a growing glow in the chest that holds on for a while. VERDICT: I bought this strictly to experiment. The online article I was reading recommended it for its herbal qualities and I definitely get that. I can see how this would pair well in a sweeter cocktail (the one I bought it for calls for pineapple juice). Just as with a Peated Scotch, the more you drink it, the more the supporting notes show themselves over the ash and smoke. I’ll try to remember to come back and update after I’ve mixed it a time or two.

Its so smokey and refreshing

Del Maguey Vida is probably the most well-known mezcal out there. I'm sure many people started with this mezcal before venturing into more complex and interesting mezcals. I still see it a ton in bars, but even as an entry level mezcal, there are better one's out there (thinking El Buho). The nose is heavy on the smoke and a bit of pepper. The smoke follows thru on the palate, but it does feel watered down. A bit of pineapple and leather follows, but it's mainly smoke. The finish has a bit of spice, although I get some chemical/industrial notes with a light burn. I still enjoy this in cocktails, but I don't drink it neat anymore. As a cocktail ingredient I would put this closer to a 3, but neat it's in the 1.5-2 range. The price of this keeps going up and it's been rebranded to Vida Clasico. I'm guessing it still tastes the same, but for $40 or more, this is too expensive for a cocktail focused mezcal. Stick to El Buho or even Banhez which can be found for closer to $30, sometimes cheaper than that for your mezcal cocktails.