Sombra Mezcal

Id assume this tastes the way nail polish remover does because it definitely smells of it. The finish would survive a nuclear winter just to ruin the existence of whatever life forms remain. This is tequila is an act of terrorism even ISIS would feel too bad to release this. The flavor never leaves its like hepatitis but much more dangerous because at least hepitis can be treated. I let the bartender have a taste of this and she resigned from her position immediately and started trying to find how to live off the grid so she couldnt spread this disease to others. Buying the bottle from my local bar should place me in the running to be the first person to get three congressional medals of honor.

Not as harsh as Nuestra Soledad, reasonably drinkable

Stands out but maybe a little too smoky for my tastes

I consider Sombra one of the better mixing mezcals out there and even neat it's not that bad. I think it's considerably better than Ilegal joven and in line with El Buho and Del Maguey Vida (but probably slightly better than Vida too). The nose is fruity, with pineapple leading the way. The palate has some heat, along with pepper, apples, smoke and a touch of sweetness. The finish is relatively long, especially in comparison to Ilegal joven, with a touch of burn. I tried this in a clay copita and glass and neither really differentiated itself. Considering the cost, which is the same as the Ilegal joven, I would buy this every time. It doesn't have the complexity or uniqueness of many of the more expensive artisanal mezcals out there, but it gets the job done and works great in cocktails.