mezcal - thoughts, recommendations?

[Ken Gargett]

doing a piece on mezcal. fascinating to see some seriously expensive examples. had no idea. to be honest, all new to me. all i knew was that it was basically a subset of tequila and occasionally had a worm. 

curious to know thoughts. regular mezcal drinkers? occasional? love or hate or not care? recommendations. 

[Notsocleaver]

Overall, I prefer Islay peat, but its my favorite alternative for a smokey dram.

Del Maguey Mezcal Vida with raw agave syrup and a grapefruit wedge makes a killer alt-style old fashioned. Use hops bitters if you can find them

[ha_banos]

Coincidentally last Thursday's cigar night was a Tequila and Mezcal tasting. Sam mixed up 3 cocktails the Oxacan old fashioned noted for the Mezcal popularity boom. I wasn't a fan though but the first two cocktails were great! For me these are nicer as cocktails than straight sippers.

 

El Reyo Tequila and Pensador Mezcal

These being

(A rum on the left)

- El Diablo

- A paloma

- Oxacan Old Fashioned 

 

[Chibearsv]

We drank quite a bit of Mezcal in college.  Every bar had a nearly full bottle of Monte Alban and my friends and I decided we'd be the pioneers to do shots of it regularly, like we were in a special club since it was rough stuff and most others were one and done with a shot.  We ate the worm at some point but I was the one that chewed it up instead of just swallowing it.  I expected it to taste like the mezcal, but it tastes like I'd expect a worm to taste, basically dirt. 

One of my friends started dating a girl from Oaxaca and she told us we were idiots for drinking that crap and for eating worms.  She brought back a hand painted bottle from a visit to her home and had us try "real" Mezcal, and it was very different.  It was still strong liquor but much smokier, sweeter, and darker flavor.  We enjoyed that bottle a lot vs the bar brand stuff.  She told us that every village took pride in their local Mezcal and how different each tasted from the other.  I don't know what the Mezcal market is now but if I was going to taste a couple varieties, I'd try to get my hands on at least one bottle from a local village distiller.

[BrightonCorgi]

My parents lived in Mexico part time for 25+ years.  They'd bring back Mezcal or Tequila each season for me (good stuff).  I like Mezcal as it can be smokier and have more personality than Tequila.  It can also be even more rot gut than Tequila on the bottom end.  The looser restrictions for Mezcal allows for more options for the producers.

That said, they can be too smoky or over flavored. 

[Çnote]

Seek out Mezcalosfera de Mezcaloteca. It's always good, but the specific profile will vary batch to batch. Or Mezcalero. Same idea.

True mezcal is a very boutique, hand crafted product. These two brands are the pinnacle of what is exported.

If you can find pre-Sazerac wax sealed bottles of del Maugey, those are exceptional as well.

Most of the mezcal being released today is very commercial compared to what would be highly regarded in Oaxaca 20 years ago, much in the same way bourbon has become.

[Glass Half Full]

No mescal for me.  I prefer smoke from a good cigar.  

Tequila, on the other hand, that's just a wonderful thing when done right.  Here are some tasty tequilas, in my opinion:

• Siembra Valles
• Tequila Ocho
• Cascahuin
• Casa Dragones Joven
• Gran Orendain
• Tierra Noble
• Arrete
• Tapatio
• Fortaleza

That's the list I keep on my phone to help in the hunt for excellent spirits.  (Along with other spirits that are hard to find but wonderful when you do.)  

Hopefully helpful to some in the group. 

ps:  Stay away from spirits associated with actors; overpriced and underwhelming; again, just my opinion.

[Çnote]

39 minutes ago, Glass Half Full said:

• Siembra Valles
• Tequila Ocho
• Cascahuin
• Casa Dragones Joven
• Gran Orendain
• Tierra Noble
• Arrete
• Tapatio
• Fortaleza

This is an incredible list

[DikkeSigaar]

Living in Europe availability of Mezcals is unfortunately limited. I had some absolutely stunning examples when travelling to Oaxaca. There is no big difference between Tequila and Mezcal. Tequila can only be made from Blue Agave, Mezcal from any variety. Hence every Tequila is a Mezcal, not every Mezcal is a Tequila. 

My guess is that (good) Mezcal or Tequila will always be more expensive because the raw material, agave, can only be harvested after about 7 years of growing. Compare that to barley, sugar cane, or grapes other quality spirits are made off.

[BoliDan]

Mezcal is great. I never get the pricey stuff, but pairing with a light lager (German or Mexican pilsner) and some orange slices is the way to go

 

[dominattorney]

16 hours ago, Ken Gargett said:

doing a piece on mezcal. fascinating to see some seriously expensive examples. had no idea. to be honest, all new to me. all i knew was that it was basically a subset of tequila and occasionally had a worm. 

curious to know thoughts. regular mezcal drinkers? occasional? love or hate or not care? recommendations. 

More to follow when I get home, but tequila is actually a subset of mezcal, not the other way around. Tequila is made from blue agave. Mezcal can be made with different varietals.  I'm sure there are other subtle distinctions as well. I have a few bottles at home I'll post pictures of later. For my money, young or Joven is the way to go. You get the smoke profile or vegetal essence best. I've had some aged examples but they're more subtle and take something away from the experience for me. 

Check out Sotol as well. It's a different subset of mezcal and has a clean, mineral profile. 

[dominattorney]

37 minutes ago, BoliDan said:

Mezcal is great. I never get the pricey stuff, but pairing with a light lager (German or Mexican pilsner) and some orange slices is the way to go

 

Try it with Bohemia oscuro con michelada, which basically means in a salt rimmed glass, with the juice if half a lime in the bottom. 

[Glass Half Full]

6 hours ago, Çnote said:

Seek out Mezcalosfera de Mezcaloteca. It's always good, but the specific profile will vary batch to batch. Or Mezcalero. Same idea.

True mezcal is a very boutique, hand crafted product. These two brands are the pinnacle of what is exported.

If you can find pre-Sazerac wax sealed bottles of del Maugey, those are exceptional as well.

Most of the mezcal being released today is very commercial compared to what would be highly regarded in Oaxaca 20 years ago, much in the same way bourbon has become.

Of course, it's always possible that I haven't tried the right mezcal   ...Will seek out a sample or two of the ones you mentioned.  

[Ken Gargett]

first, thanks for all this. much appreciated. and apols, i had that around the wrong way - mezcal/tequila. has been fascinating doing some research. the piece will go up in quill and pad (https://quillandpad.com/) in a week or so. 

[Glass Half Full]

Rum and cigars are still the best

 

[ManInBlack]

Occasional drinker here - I was shocked by the price of some mezcals when I first started seeking them out, previously equating cost with aging, but once I learned that some of the agaves are 20+ years old, harvested in the wild, and the spirit is often made in remote areas with clay stills, it made sense. Drinking through the Alipus line was responsible for my big “aha” moment and Rezpiral has made some of the most memorable mezcals I’ve tasted, so I recommend those. The sheer variety and distinctiveness of mezcals has made it super fun for me to taste, personally, so I’m looking forward to reading your piece. 

[Ken Gargett]

1 minute ago, ManInBlack said:

Occasional drinker here - I was shocked by the price of some mezcals when I first started seeking them out, previously equating cost with aging, but once I learned that some of the agaves are 20+ years old, harvested in the wild, and the spirit is often made in remote areas with clay stills, it made sense. Drinking through the Alipus line was responsible for my big “aha” moment and Rezpiral has made some of the most memorable mezcals I’ve tasted, so I recommend those. The sheer variety and distinctiveness of mezcals has made it super fun for me to taste, personally, so I’m looking forward to reading your piece. 

thanks.

yes, that artisanal aspect and the fact that unlike grape vines or barley etc etc, these things take 8 to 20 plus years to grow and you use them once. grapes, pick them every year. suddenly you start to see the reason for the price. the one i am enjoying (fortunately, i did not have to pay for the bottle) is the Los Siete Misterios 'Tobala'. downunder, $500 a bottle. i was a bit staggered but i am loving it. 

[Ken Gargett]

16 hours ago, ManInBlack said:

Occasional drinker here - I was shocked by the price of some mezcals when I first started seeking them out, previously equating cost with aging, but once I learned that some of the agaves are 20+ years old, harvested in the wild, and the spirit is often made in remote areas with clay stills, it made sense. Drinking through the Alipus line was responsible for my big “aha” moment and Rezpiral has made some of the most memorable mezcals I’ve tasted, so I recommend those. The sheer variety and distinctiveness of mezcals has made it super fun for me to taste, personally, so I’m looking forward to reading your piece. 

https://quillandpad.com/2023/01/30/in-praise-of-great-mezcal-all-tequila-is-mezcal-but-not-all-mezcal-is-tequila-and-avoid-the-worm/

[ha_banos]

huh - I thought that the stop always comes before the bracket. Am a little more learned (today).

There's been a bit of a Tequla/Mezcal renaissance in London for quite a while. I've not tried any though. I first noticed the name when this place opened up in 2017 https://goo.gl/maps/jcbTv79yT7LVDNV2A It was right next to the pub, so never got a look in from me  But my curiosity is piqued.

Nice to see you Aussies catching up 🥰