Intro
A really fun ensemble in the Mezcalero line that has some exceptional flavor gyrations.
Details
- Location: San Luis del Rio
- Agaves: Cirial and espadin
- Maestro Mezcalero: Don Baltazar Cruz Gonzales
- ABV: 47.8%
- Distilled March 2015, released 2017
- 500 liters produced (666 bottles!)
- NOM: O14X
Background
This mezcal is already four years old and the fact that it rested for two of those years speaks to the vision of importer Ansley Coale and the pipeline he’s built up for the Mezcalero project. Like agaves which take close to, if not more than, a decade to mature, the foresight necessary to buy the mezcal batches for Mezcalero bottlings like this one is to be lauded. It’s not that this is a novel thing, it’s that someone has focused on bringing this approach to the United States. I’m happy to note that other people are joining the party like the recently released NETA and Mezcal Mal Bien. The more of these projects that we have, the better our mezcal selections and the more sustainable traditional production will survive.
The Mezcalero 19 is a classic ensemble matching a member of the Karwinskii family with an espadin. The espadin is the workhorse of the mezcal world, source of fantastic mezcals on its own but also a great partner for other agaves because it offers a measured roast and sugar foil. Cirial is an incredibly fun agave, on its own it leans into the bright herbal spectrum of flavors, even reaching toward sotol in some ways so this combination is all about classic nuance.
Tasting Notes
The glass gives me aromas of fall spices and pimenton, it’s as if I walked by the spice cabinet and caught hints of those scents. On the palate it has a really rounded flavor with notes of cinnamon and piloncillo sugars with a slight acid bite that leaves you with an effervescent sensation.
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