Del Maguey Minero Santa Catarina Minas Mezcal

* My bottle: From Lot no. SCM 175. Nose: Honey, burning beeswax candles, eucalyptus, menthol, butterscotch, pineapple, lime. Over time as the nose opens up and the first alcohols blow away it integrates most wonderfully. There's a faint ashy note way in the back, but this does not have a smoky nose as such - more like citrus fruit slices dipped in cinders. Palate: A soft herbal and sweet arrival with some light citrus in the background. The development brings a wave of sweet chilli spice that washes over the tongue and fills the whole mouth with rich creamy warmth. Finish: Long. Initially slightly drying and salty after the chilli heat but then turning sweet again. A rich and rounded mouthfeel. This is a most delicious mezcal with a warm sweet chilli and fruit character and a satisfying touch of oiliness to the texture. There is some trace smoke, but it's not really smoky. In a lot of ways this is a companion mezcal to Chichicapa (which is smokier, saltier and more minty). The two expressions compliment each other very well. "Good" : 84/100 (3.75 stars)

Del Maguey Minero is a solid espadin mezcal. I think it may be a touch expensive, but it holds its own and is a nice step-up from Del Maguey Vida. The tough thing about this bottle is that while it can be used in cocktails, it's a bit expensive for that purpose, unfortunately it's also not a top notch mezcal neat so it hovers in the middle ground not being great in either instance. The nose has some smoke, but it's not as in your face as the Vida, with some wet clay notes. The palate has some lemon zest, while being somewhat sweet and creamy. It's actually pretty fruity. The finish is pretty long and has some mineral notes with very little burn. In comparison to the Vida, it's a solid drink neat, again though you can do better (Del Maguey Chichicapa for example runs circles around this). Overall, it's a solid espadin, but I think many will find it too boring to consider purchasing a whole bottle.

Thanks to @cascode I've managed to taste up a great Del Maguey storm of mezcals. All have been lovely including this one however in taking and comparing notes we have come to the conclusion that it's a drink which is best drunk fresh. A number of the samples like this one whilst lovely are a bit muted. There are definitely core differences, however having a fresh Del Maguey prior the Chichicapa it definitely is a lot more vibrant. As such i won't rate or provide further notes (which to be honest my tasting notes are usually severely limited!) and instead refer you to Cascodes excellent reviews.

Such an appropriate bottle to open this evening while watching the new Netflix Luke Cage: earthy, minerally with a strong smoky finish. Del Maguey seems to be doing things right in the Mezcal space---concentrating on singular village production or wild unique agaves as opposed to your common espadins. They're also doing Mezcal the traditional way, by stone grounding the pinas. If you like Islay or Island malts, you'll love these. Substitute the briny or peaty aromas with a minerally clay, followed by the earthy green leaf on palette, and then finally the smoke of a gentle Islay

My first time trying mezcal. Really looking forward to this one. Nose is agave, vegetal, rubber, and lemon. Palate is an absolute fiesta. Savoury herbs, clay, and smoke along with the slightly sweet agave. Finish is warm, lengthy and tremendously complex. This is a completely new experience for me and just as mind blowing as the first time I tried an Islay single malt.

I wanted to try a higher end Mezcal and based on reviews here I went with this one. Glad I did. On a whole different level than a lot of the cheaper Mezcal's I've tried previously. The smoke is much more subtle and the sweeter, honey and fruit notes are upfront. Very long finish and viscous mouthfeel. Definitely a 5/5 in my limited experience.