Miahuatlán Mezcales Tradicional – Agave Rhodacantha
Another bottle where I, unfortunately, do not have much info. I’ve reached out to Mezcalosteca in hopes I can learn more about this maestro.
Batch 01VMUSA-21 was produced in April 2021. Stone ground and roasted in a conical underground oven, fired with mesquite. Wild open fermentation in wood with well water. Distilled once in a refrescador still and bottled at a final proof of 49.8%.
Tasting Notes
This is another mezcal with a fruity nose that dissipates quickly after being poured in your glass. The first note I got was a gummy bears candy sweetness. It abruptly changes and gives off a funky, fermented kombucha aroma. Almost like mead or pulque. Sweet vegetables – yams, hominy, raw potato, cucumber, and green tomatoes. As more time passes that sweetness has entirely turned into a savory vinegar. Soy sauce, oyster sauce, dried anchovy, and artichoke hearts. Olive brine and mirin. Some touches of Indian spice blends and a fresh green herbalness with notes of parsley and cilantro.
Big roasted agave notes on the palate with a sweet agave nectar flavor coating your mouth. That sweetness comes with an equal amount of heat with a bold capsaicin punch. It’s candied chilies in the best possible way. The flavors build into a dry, grassy heat. Woody and earthy flavors. Avocado leaf, pinewood, mulch, hay, and wood chips. Some minerals and metals are present. Chalk, slake, and graphite – almost a school pencil case smell.
The finish starts out with a dry lumber flavor. It’s relatively short but has a fermented dry wine or hoppy beer bitterness on the side of my tongue. Sweet agave syrup or honey in a bitter black tea. Burnt, caramelized sweet potato. Chalk, calcium, tin foil. Savory onion jam over an omelet with a chive garnish.
Overall
This is a fun and unique mezcal and I’m a bit back and forth on it, much like the flavors.
I want to like this more and I think I would if I had a larger sample to explore it more. It very well might be a mood-dependent spirit. It’s high-quality mezcal and one that would pair well with food. A citrus-forward cocktail would be elevated and bring out fun flavors that pair well with the savory notes.
