La Luna Cupreata Mezcal

Nose of light smoke and vanilla. Taste of aloe, citrus, and decent smoke. Finished smooth, little burn.

Note - my bottle is labeled at 46.12% ABV, which differs from the Distiller entry. Nearly clear. A nice weight when swirled. Immediate cream and vanilla on the nose, which is a departure from my expectations for mezcal - almost vanilla pudding. Little to no smoke. Cooked carrots come in around the edges, but don't dominate - vegetal notes play only a supporting role. I'm put off balance by this, but I'm not sure if its a feature of the cupreata agave or La Luna's house style. Not bad by any measure, just different. Quality all around. No ethanol despite the respectable proof. Cream again initiates the taste, with a lovely, thick mouthfeel. Mild, with only gentle sweetness... just incredible viscosity for a spell, then minerality builds and washes the palate. A twinge of metallic influence, copper lingers throughout the finish. The vanilla cream carries throughout, and couples with the viscosity to evoke pudding yet again. Char flashes before the finish, but not the smoky flavors I'm used to. Salty. Chalky, yet carries well-moderated sweetness. Bell pepper. Jasmine. Honey water. Honestly, all the components of this are extremely compelling in isolation, but I can't escape the feeling that they don't ultimately compliment one another as well as I wish they did. This leaves the final result merely as the sum of the parts, or perhaps a little less. Admittedly this is a first taste / neck pour. It is clearly a competently crafted product, but I'll have to re-evaluate throughout the bottle to see if this one grows on me. Either way, it is very affordable for a quality product if the notes appeal to you. No regrets whatsoever for the price tag. Update: plays much better in a mezcal mule than expected, admittedly with a sweet ginger beer (Gosling’s) that likes the vanilla.

Smokey, little bite