Del Maguey VIDA Mezcal

I think it’s fitting that the first mezcal I’ve ever tried will also be the first one I review. I first had this a few years back, and though I liked it a good bit, my preoccupation with whiskey prevented me from diving too deep into the genre. Without further ado, here is my first entry. Lot: VID-214. Bottled 2021/9/11. Nose: Campfire smoke. Big time. It’s spicy. Grilled pineapple and pepper. Cinnamon red hots. There is some vanilla sweetness, but it is way in the background. Floral notes and vegetation. Agave. Sandalwood and graham cracker. There is a soapiness to it, but not at all unpleasant. Sriracha maybe. Very, very interesting. Palate: There is a rubbery, earthiness that I’m actually quite enjoying. Heavy smoke. More of the vegetal and floral notes. Custard and vanilla sweetness. The sandalwood note I’ve only gotten from Japaense whisky before this. Graham cracker/Teddy Graham’s. Agave, of course. Cinnamon heat and spice. Finish: Campfire smoke, rubbery earth, sandalwood. Ash. Creamy custard and vanilla. Agave. Short-to-moderate length, leaning toward the latter. As I suggested earlier, I’m a fan. This one got me into mezcal. It’s the baseline Del Maguey product, so I’m very much looking forward to exploring the higher-shelf offerings. I must admit that I struggled with the notes on this one. I’m not too experienced in this genre, and hope I’ll improve. But the nose and palate were excellent. The finish could’ve used a bit of a boost. I think something like this would thrive at a higher proof. 3.75/5. $35 is a small price to pay for a bottle this good. Well done, Del Maguey.

First mezcal and I'm not much of a tequila drinker. Trying to branch out a little. Here goes... N: Puff of smoke at the opening of the bottle that quickly disappears. Lots of cooked fruit - which, I suppose makes sense, since that is what this is - definitely agave, but more subdued than most tequilas I've tried and also broader with some tropical notes and maybe a mango. Slightly medicinal and slightly soapy, but generally nice and easy to appreciate. P: Sweet, fruity, a little spicy. Holds true to the nose with a more subdued agave character that's buoyed by pineapple and other tropical notes. Mid-palate brings some light brown sugar and some tangy notes, almost reminds of a barbecue sauce. The spicy heat builds to a surprising point with a definite chili pepper veggie note. Do you rate a finish on a mezcal? I didn't read any mezcal reviews before diving in here. I guess the aftertaste is more ripe fruit with just a dash of that lingering heat. There, finish. Well, I have nothing to compare this to. It is literally the first mezcal I've ever had, aside from a rare mixed drink that I never bothered to ask what was in it. After a few very long nights with tequila, I developed a sort of distaste for it, but I've been trying work on that (or really my family has, probably without realizing). This is plenty drinkable for me. Guess that's a start. _______ Please come join a bunch of regular Distiller reviewers are chatting spirits in real time on Discord: https://discord.gg/4nfePCdyKM. (If the link is expired, post a comment and I will post a new one.)

Del Maguey Vida *NOSE: Ash, Wet Straw, Stewed Pear, Canned Green Beans, Freshly Cracked Pepper, lots of Herbal Notes and Damp Earth. *NEAT: Mimics the Nose fairly well. No real surprises. Lots of Ash. Motor Oil & New Tires (If you’ve spent time in an old service station/garage, you know what I mean, that smell gets in your mouth and you taste it). There is an almost sugary sweetness mid to back of the palate. The herbal quality is also there. That Oily, Ashy note coats and lingers and hangs around quite a while. As it fades, it becomes that taste/sensation you get when you dislodge a chunk of Black Pepper that managed to end up between a couple back molars at dinner. There is a growing glow in the chest that holds on for a while. VERDICT: I bought this strictly to experiment. The online article I was reading recommended it for its herbal qualities and I definitely get that. I can see how this would pair well in a sweeter cocktail (the one I bought it for calls for pineapple juice). Just as with a Peated Scotch, the more you drink it, the more the supporting notes show themselves over the ash and smoke. I’ll try to remember to come back and update after I’ve mixed it a time or two.

Del Maguey Vida is probably the most well-known mezcal out there. I'm sure many people started with this mezcal before venturing into more complex and interesting mezcals. I still see it a ton in bars, but even as an entry level mezcal, there are better one's out there (thinking El Buho). The nose is heavy on the smoke and a bit of pepper. The smoke follows thru on the palate, but it does feel watered down. A bit of pineapple and leather follows, but it's mainly smoke. The finish has a bit of spice, although I get some chemical/industrial notes with a light burn. I still enjoy this in cocktails, but I don't drink it neat anymore. As a cocktail ingredient I would put this closer to a 3, but neat it's in the 1.5-2 range. The price of this keeps going up and it's been rebranded to Vida Clasico. I'm guessing it still tastes the same, but for $40 or more, this is too expensive for a cocktail focused mezcal. Stick to El Buho or even Banhez which can be found for closer to $30, sometimes cheaper than that for your mezcal cocktails.

I bought this hoping that the first mezcal I tasted was just an odd man out but I do not like the taste of mezcal. The first mezcal I tried was Marca Negra and I did not like it as it tasted like the agave was fermented in burning Goodyear tires it was that smoky and bad. On the advice of a friend, I bought Del Maguey Vida as he said that is a good intro to mezcal so I found a bottle on sale for around $22 and picked it up. In the glass, it is very clear and coats the glass nicely. On the nose, there is a distinct smokiness and earthiness very similar to the Marca Negra but far more subdued and that is a good thing for me. The body is still burning tires but much smaller ones and maybe out in a field and not in a building where the smoke can concentrate. It does have earthy notes like a freshly plowed field it lets you know it is there. The finish is just more smoke and sadness. I really do not like mezcal sam I am. If this is your cup of tea then have at it but none of the flavors worked for me.

I've had this bottle sitting in my cabinet for some time. Thought I'd give it a rating before trying samples of a couple other mezcals. Based on the nose, I always think I'm going to like mezcal more than I do. This has a really pleasant lightly smoked grapefruit on the nose, with something slightly vegetal. On the palate the smoke jumps to the front and the fruit recedes to the background. I like the nose on this, but drinking this is not particularly enjoyable to me. However, it's not yet clear if I just don't care that much for mezcal, or if this just isn't a great example of the spirit. Looking forward to seeing if I enjoy a couple others that I received samples of, but this goes back to the back of the cabinet.