Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington
Del Maguey Chichicapa Mezcal
Mezcal Joven — Oaxaca, Mexico
Reviewed
March 10, 2022 (edited April 8, 2022)
Clear as water but plenty of discrete, thin legs to say otherwise. Smokey and vegetal with a hint of sweetness, but really just a hint. Waves of salt open the nose and then screeching hot tires (dash of overcooked brake pads as well), toasted cedar, grilled pineapple, bell pepper, clay, lemon mascarpone and agave sugar eventually settle in.
Loads of ash, rubber tire, grilled peppers, burnt sugar, pineapple and maybe a hint of bitter citrus rind.
So this, for me, has some redeeming qualities as compared to my dreaded Bozal Tepezate experience. But not many. I’m more of a fruit than vegetable sort of guy and this is still largely slanted toward the dry, tarry, earthy side. There is some sweetness that sneaks in to prevent it from being unbalanced and maybe with time the tar and rubber will dissipate a bit and expose additional notes. For now I struggle to appreciate it.
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I enjoy Mez as a sipper, but biggest draw is that it's such a gamechanger for simple cocktails IMO. A quality 100% Espadin (pit roasted, natural yeast, stone tahona, etc.) in a paloma (50/50 juice/squirt) or mule are just game changers that make the charred grapefruit and bell pepper, salt, ham and rubber a complexity instead of the sole opportunity for enjoyment. That said, non-Espadin have been hit or miss for me and I may be drawn the the base character of mezcal more than others to begin with.
@BeppeCovfefe I’ve had both . Personally, I’d rate this higher than the Casa Amiga mezcal. I think Casa Amiga is stronger in the tequila side of the house, especially their resposado, but I felt they weren’t quite there with the mezcal. It’s more in line with the base Del Maguey offering ( Vida). Del Maguey’s Iberico is probably their best offering …probably best mezcal I’ve had
How would you compare this to say Casamigo mezcal?
@pkingmartin if I can track down a Pechuga I hope in my hear of hearts to hit every one of those notes - with 90s grunge rock playing quietly in the background.
@Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington Yum, a 200k mile GM with all that is close to perfection and would just need a 3 week old McRib sandwich, some flat Sprite and a 5 dollar grocery store flower bouquet to really complete it.
@WhiskyWitch I would say 200k mile GM product, at least 3 air fresheners hanging from the rear view, two “pine” and one “fresh” sent with a half full ash tray
"dash of overcooked brake pads" 😂 If "medicinal" can be a tasting note category, then "automotive" should be as well...
@cascode that is good to know and disappointing at the same time. This a category I definitely don’t understand but am learning to appreciate. Maybe once summer arrives I’ll crave it a bit but suspect my foray will end like yours.
The smoky note will fade over time, but in doing so it doesn't really reveal hidden notes. I had a bottle that started to go flat on the nose and palate after 12 months, and was very dull after 2 years. I liked this one when I tried it a few years ago but it was also my first mezcal and I was blown away by the smokiness. I had it so long not because I didn't like it in particular, but because mezcal in general is something I seldom crave.