Mezcal Vago Elote

* My bottle: Lot A-20-EL-16. Nose: Sweet fruity aromas over a herby, vegetal base. Soft and slightly salty minerality. No smoke whatsoever. Palate: The arrival is soft and slow, mildly fruity, nutty and cereal, but this changes to a salty development. Lots of brine and white pepper but balanced by a cereal/fruity oiliness. The texture is arguably the best part of the palate. Finish: Medium. As the mouth absorbs the salt and pepper kick it moves to a pleasant vegetal sweetness in the aftertaste. Unlike most others who have reviewed this I don't find any specific corn flavour or aroma. However corn does have an influence here both on the mouthfeel (which is silky and slightly oily-thick) and by contributing sweetness to the palate that somewhat balances the salty profile. It's like a vegan pechuga, with corn instead of chicken breast, where the corn adds balance and roundness rather than overt aroma or flavour. It's a finely crafted and clean mezcal that lacks the flavour complexity of some others but substitutes a very pleasant texture. There's a balance between pepper and cool salt, with mild sweet fruit and cereal in the background. There's no smoke anywhere, which might be due to a narrow cut and minimal tempering, or maybe the roasting process (perhaps they don't use an earth oven?). Like most mezcal it develops more sweetness when diluted, as well as a touch of mintiness. The abv is relatively high for a mezcal (the Distiller notes say 50.2% but this is a batch product that varies slightly and my bottle states 51%). "Good" : 84/100 (3.75 stars)

Bought for a particular cocktail, but I've been using it in several and occasionally, to sip. I wouldn't know about the corn without being told, but this is still quite nice. Nice to drink neat and plays well in cocktails if I forget the price. Little smoke on the nose; mostly agave, wet wood, and some sharpness. Great taste and mouthfeel. Silky. Vegetal. Very sweet. Lingering but subtle smoke and light/inoffensive medicinal on the very long finish .

Smooth, not digging the corn scent in a mezcal