Excerpt: Sweet cream, lots of clay and pepper. Faint anise, some ashy wood smoke. Nice melon component that plays well with pineapple and crushed stone. I like this a lot, but the heavy handed lack of balance in the finish is a little unbalanced. That said, I’m a big fan otherwise and really have enjoyed working through this bottle.
Excerpt: The palate is smooth on entry, with agave notes upfront that give way to more fruit notes that include banana, apple and orange peel. The lingering finish continues with more agave, as well as a noticeable minerality, anise and subtle smoke.
Excerpt: Boldly smoky on the nose, this is a very intense mezcal that pours on the campfire character. The palate settles into a gentler groove, if slowly, offering some lime-heavy citrus and a muddle white sugar note sweetening things up. There’s plenty of smoke here, of course, and at nearly 50% abv, plenty of heat too — yet the overall experience is approachable and not too overbearing.
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House Review
Intro:
This is an older lot from Pierde Almas, from 2016, produced using Espadin Agave, fermented in small wooden pots, and distilled twice on copper. Let's see how it is.
Nose:
Sweet vanilla, melon, pepper and a weird caramel note - something I usually get from more barrel aged spirits. Like a delightful, mineral forward, crisp Riesling, it’s sweet, loaded with minerality and some pepper. Faint graham cracker, lovely floral essence.
Taste:
Rich on the palate - thick, but with an absence of heat. Sweet cream, lots of clay and pepper. Faint anise, some ashy wood smoke. Nice melon component that plays well with pineapple and crushed stone.
Finish:
Long, rich, smoky and sweet. The finish is dominated by smoke, lending a bit of a heavy hand. While I like it, a bit more balance would aid here.
Overall:
I like this a lot, but the heavy handed lack of balance in the finish is a little unbalanced. That said, I’m a big fan otherwise and really have enjoyed working through this bottle.
Score:
6
By t8ke
Our in house critic rates spirits on a scale of 0-10 (10 best) and is aggregated the same as external sources