PBMichiganWolverine
Don Amado Añejo Mezcal
Mezcal Añejo — Oaxaca, Mexico
Reviewed
April 30, 2017 (edited December 20, 2023)
I just got back from a few days vacation in Oaxaca and then Cabo. While in Oaxaca, I sampled quite a few mezcals, most of them from these little small micro distilleries that don't sell their products beyond their own town. Some of them are really small scale producing just a few bottles, without any formal sales or marketing, or even labels on their bottles. In fact, they don't even have a way of telling how much ABV is in there, so they give a range: " we think it's between 40-55%". They can tell when the product is done by shaking the bottle and looking for a layer of bubbles forming on top. This one here though was an exception---it's sold in the US for about triple the price here in Oaxaca (about $15US in Oaxaca). Really well made; John's notes are spot on---you get a layer of smoke followed by this sweetness like pineapples and tropical fruit. This is from the espadin agave, one of the more common ones. If you do see one in the US, it's a worthwhile purchase. Really unique and well crafted.
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I almost grabbed it because I like the winey finishes, but they tend to overpower everything else, so I want to try the Cornerstone first.
I just did a quick search on the Total Wine NJ site for the CR---it does seem new, about $55 here
Thanks for the recommendation!
I think it is fairly new. I saw it a Total Wine new store opening and it was flying off the shelf.
I've not heard of the CR Wine one---haven't seen it here in NY/NJ area. Is it new? For Mezcal---I'd really recommend Del Maguey Chichicapa---I've had that, and it was quite good. Easily available too
The way they bake the agave for the smoky flavor sounds interesting. I plan to buy one soon. Any recommendations? Also, I can’t find the CR Noble Cornerstone, but I did find the CR Noble Wine Barrel Finish. Have you tried that one?
Yeah, I personally don't like the blue agave (which is tequila), but ironically love the other agaves (mezcals). From my recent trip to Oaxaca, I actually learned that Mezcal and tequila are a world apart. Not only in the agave, but the distillation as well. Tequila is big industry, while Mezcal is more micro-distillery and rustic prep.
I should be more specific, it's the blue agave that hates me. :)
Yeah, there's some really bad bottom shelf agave stuff, but once you get into better quality, it then becomes amazingly good and great VFM.
This sounds interesting, especially the smoky part. I have to admit to being an agave bigot after a few college near-death experiences. Maybe it"s time for another try.