Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/35876
Tasting Notes Scorpion Silver Mezcal Joven ($40) Clean, fresh and zesty, despite the presence of the show-off scorpion, with pronounced citrus qualities combined with an authentic agave earthiness. CABALLEROS INC. Herencia del Mezcalero Blanco ($40) Clean and pure. Spare, with a laser-like precision. The initial hints of sweetness give way to an intense, fiery agave finish. PUEBLO PARTNERS Ilegal Mezcal Joven ($55) The pungent and deeply aromatic agave qualities achieve a sur- prising elegance by the time you get to the long, lingering finish. FREDERICK WILDMAN & SONS Los Amantes Mezcal Joven ($50) A touch of sweetness plays off the power- ful, artisanal agave qualities marked by hints of ginger, cinnamon and a definite resin- ous quality. PALM BAY INTERNATIONAL Los Amantes Mezcal Reposado ($60) Dry, understated and surpris- ingly delicate for such a full-flavored mezcal. PALM BAY INTERNATIONAL Métl Reposado Mezcal ($46) The pungent, aromatic nose is followed by a surpris- ingly sweet and mellow palate. A good reminder that the trademark smokiness of mezcal is more in the aroma than the taste. WWW.METLMEZCAL.COM Del Maguey, San Luis del Rio ($70) One of the six individualistic single-village products from Del Maguey. This one is wonderfully smooth but still brimming with a mellow richness. GEMINI SPIRITS Scorpion Mezcal Añejo Aged 5 Years in Oak ($180) Smooth, creamy and polished with the oak ele- ments blend- ing seamlessly with the pronounced agave. The XO of mezcal. CABALLEROS INC. Ilegal Mezcal Añejo ($110) The same smoky assertiveness as the Ilegal Joven but here it has been mellowed by the influence of the oak. Can a mezcal be artisanal and polished at the same time? Yes it can. FREDERICK WILDMAN & SONS july 201 1 / the tasting panel / 101