October 26, 2014

Looking for malternatives on Sunday, today mezcal

It’s no secret that I’ve developed a fondness for mezcal in the last two years. Good mezcal that is, there’s crap as well, as always. Let’s see what we can find in our ‘alternative’ sample library…

Lajita 'Reposado' (40%, OB, mezcal, 100% agave, +/-2013)

Apparently, it’s been awarded several times. Probably blind, since there’s one of these stupid worms/gusanos in the bottle. Colour: straw. Nose: a little strange, much sourer than other mezcals, with huge notes of rotting plums at first nosing, just before it settles down a bit and becomes earthier and brinier, with also whiffs of iron, wet chalk and cured ham. Quite a lot going on in this one, hope that’s not the worm – probably not. Mouth: I find this very dusty, cardboardy, and oddly smoky. Smoked meats above everything, charcoal, cooked butter and then more and more clay as well as a little overcooked vegetable. Brussels sprout? Finish: short, always a little sour. Comments: it hasn’t got the flinty/sharp profile that more ‘artisan’ mezcals can display, and I find it a little dirty. But bland it’s not, for sure. Say interesting. Oh and I’ve given the worm to the cat but she hates alcohol, so she wouldn’t touch it. SGP:453 - around 72 points.

Viejo Pancho Lopez 'Reposado' (38%, OB, mezcal, 100% agave, +/-2014)

It seems that this one’s aged for six months in oak, but sources (read websites) vary. No worm inside this time, hurray, but the nine years old cultivated Espadin agaves are organic (apparently). Colour: pale white wine. Nose: cleaner and more spirity than the Lajita, more on eau-de-vie and vanillin, much less on smoke and brine. Touches of cologne and fresh butter, a little fern and moss… Certainly not unpleasant, but a bit shy at this point. Let’s check the palate… Mouth: very easy, clean, with some custard and red pepper – rather pink peppercorns – then some white chocolate and more vanilla. A touch of earth as well, but little smoke this time, and little brine. Much easier and rounder than Lajita. Finish: rather short, rather sweet. Marshmallows with a pinch of salt. More caramel in the aftertaste. Comments: it’s lacking body, not quite a sipping mezcal, I’d say, but it’s not bad juice. SGP: 531 – around 70 points.

Let’s try the ‘anejo’ version…

Viejo Pancho Lopez 'Anejo' (38%, OB, mezcal, 100% agave, +/-2014)

This one has spent more time in wood, but the colour’s very pale. Colour: white wine. Nose: it’s got a curious medicinal side – not medicinal as in Laphroaig, mind you – and plenty of pine resin and needles, fir liqueur and all that. Yet it’s very smooth and light, with more and more herbal liqueurs. Very different from the reposado. Mouth: much closer to the reposado now, with quite a lot vanilla plus a few spices and these marshmallows again. The pinesap comes through again after a few seconds. Dantziger Goldwasser or something like that. Very little smoke or brine yet again. Finish: rather short, with a little more pepper. Loads of vanilla in the aftertaste. Comments: some very civilised, very harmless mezcal. SGP:531 - around 70 points.

And another anejo…

Los Danzantes 'Anejo' (45.9%, OB, mezcal, +/-2014)

This baby’s got a high reputation, but it’s quite expensive (£75) for a spirit that spent one year and a half in wood. It’s 100% espadin agave. Colour: gold. Nose: the style of the Lajita is back, but with more oomph, more ‘terroir’, more earth, more brine and almost as much smoke. A little varnish too – well, quite some varnish - which just wouldn’t go away, but that’s no problem because of the smoke that balances that side. I also find whiffs of green coffee. Mouth: very unusual! Starts pretty soapy, before more straight briny agave starts to hit you. Swallowing a little shampoo while showering – and then drinking a few drops of aftershave. You really have to like that. Finish: quite long, smoky and ashy. The soap is still there. Comments: very singular. I’m not too sure about the soap, is that supposed to be an asset? Conservatory score: around SGP:362 - 65 points.

Well, every time I’ve chatted with serious mezcal or tequila lovers, they’ve always told me that reposado and, even worse, anejo are the ‘worst’ ones, and that the blancos or jovens are the real thing. I can certainly imagine that the wood’s vanilla and the smoky grassiness of the distillate would just clash. So let’s try some blancos, starting with another Los Danzantes…

Los Danzantes 'Joven' (43%, OB, mezcal, +/-2014)

This is 100% espadin agave again. They seem to be making other varieties, such as the small tobala. Have to find that one… Colour: white. Nose: friends are always right, let’s remember that. Another galaxy, with much better defined and ‘precise’ aromas, essentially around williams pears, green olives and seawater. Or gherkin brine. Terrifically fresh! The smoke is mild, but it’s there. Very pure spirit, slash! Mouth: of course this is much better, despite these Williams pears that keep harassing us (I’m joking.) It remains a relatively mild mezcal, even rather rounded (when compared with the ‘village mezcals’), but it really works. Just this sweetness that keeps growing is a little too much (sweet eau-de-vie). Finish: rather long, rather eau-de-vie-ish. Meatier aftertaste. Comments: not an extreme mezcal, and maybe not exactly a malternative for Ardbeg freaks, but I like it. SGP:542 - around 80 points.

Things have improved, haven’t they… We’ve got quite a bunch of jovens yet to taste but why not rather take this opportunity to taste a tequila joven, instead of a mezcal. After all, tequila is mezcal. We’ll have other mezcals another Sunday.

Espolòn (40%, OB, tequila blanco, +/-2014)

This is 100% blue agave. It’s a fairly recent brand, they first came out in 1998. Colour: white. Nose: this nose is softer than that of the Danzantes, rounder, and rather more floral and fruity, although the agave-y side remains (light brine, very light smoke.) A little lavender, cranberry juice, then more tropical fruits, especially very ripe mangos. Yet the whole remains light and even kind of ethereal. Mouth: we’re much closer to the mezcal, with some brine, green olives and a touch of ham, then a little burnt fruit, perhaps tinned pineapples and a drop of rose water. That’s right, gewürztraminer. Finish: not very long, sweet, fruity. The gewürz remains in the aftertaste. Comments: I liked the style of the white – and wilder - mezcal rather better, but this is excellent tequila for sure. Not quite Siete Leguas, but… SGP:531 - around 79 points.

Next time we’ll have only big white ones. Pechugas, wild agaves and all that. Stay tuned!