Mezcal Amarás Cupreata

Bottled in 2021. Spring Lote: 7 Nose: vegetal, lightly cooked agave, citrus/bright Taste: light acetone, rich vegetal flavor like a pepper…definitely herbal with notes of mineral and earth. Not so much smoke. Definitely a bright mezcal. Feel: soft, kind of watery viscosity. Maybe even a little salty feeling. Overall great flavor and at a great price point. I bought this to expand my collection so I would have a cupreata.

This smells really vegetal and full of bell peppers and chilis. The palate is a fascinating combination of Earth, sweet roasted bell peppers and savory, spicy chilis. I haven't tasted a drink quite like this before, but it is very interesting. It has a lasting numbing effect. It's quite intriguing to drink, but it doesn't seem like a great staple. As I drink more, the Earth starts taking over. Some acrid vegetal notes persist and it becomes more drying. Unfortunately, this quick descent into the less appealing side of mezcal brings out that gross alcohol flavor with the Earth and the whole thing starts tasting like a muddled mess. There's some nice cinnamon holding up just a little bit, but it isn't all that enjoyable beyond the first 3 or so sips. The herbal notes do eventually come back out to balance the Earth, but it really tastes medicinal at that point. It isn't out of control, but it is in an areas that I find unappealing. That last glimmer of sweetness doesn't disappear though and little bits of complexity do reemerge.

Funky, dirty, herbal and a little rough.

Very good. Smoky, with plenty of flavor from the agave.

Like most Amaras/Amores mezcales, this is way too heavy on the smoke (like it's being focus group tested for bartenders) while being light on everything else... at 43% it is still way below the alcohol percentage that allows for richer organoleptic notes to come into the spirit