Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal, Wild Papalome (San Pedro Teozacoalco), 45% abv, NOM 041x, Lot PAP-131

I don't really deserve this

Since I don't know anything about mezcal, I feel as if I'm intruding into someone else's territory by drinking this. It's a limited edition made from wild papalome agave. But realistically I'm only going to have one bottle of mezcal open at a time, so it might as well be this one. And it costs about as much as a middling bottle of middle-age whisky.

Nose: weird stuff. grass, then gasoline, bacon, crushed leaves, and wood smoke. Then it keeps going: new car smell, mushrooms, banana esters, and cherry cough drops. It's all fairly subtle, but it's all there, and it keeps going. Definitely woodsy and fruity and phenolic and ...

Palate: Slightly sweet, and then like a leather couch roasted over an open fire. Settles down into smoked peppers, barbecue spices, and tomato leaves.

Finish: long, smoky, and a little vegetal.


Hard to make sense of this, but then I don't really have any reference points. I like it a lot.

score: 88