Las Chingonas’ Initial Offering From Guerrero
After trying the Sacatoro batch bottled for Maguey Melate, I was excited to learn that the duo from Las Chingonas Imports were bringing a second batch of Israel’s Sacatoro to the US market. This batch was produced about a year after the Maguey Melate batch and bottled at a slightly higher proof of 52%.
Since tasting that initial bottle, I am smitten with the Guerrero species of angustifolia. I’ve bought up quite a few of the Mal Bien batches and even a backup bottle of Israel’s from Maguey Melate. Must be the something in the water of Guerrero I really enjoy.
Tasting Notes
I have attempted to keep my notes from the Maguey Melate batch away from sight. I wanted to review this on it’s own merits and compare after tasting side by side.
Familiar earthy, wet gravel-like nose. Lots of heavy minerality scents. It is sweet, but in a leafy and floral kind of way. Aloe vera, medicinal. Floral citrus blossoms. Cherry wood, cedar lumber and sawdust. Roasted agave. Plantains. Root vegetables – sweet potato and carrots. Allspice dram with a demerara raw sugar flavor. Oyster sauce. Lastly, a sweet and sour vinegar, Kansas City BBQ sauce flavor.
At first sip, you get this really foreign tropical fruit flavor. Fresh apricots. Mineral water and a slight aluminum or cast iron metallic taste. Citrus leaning sweetness with more bitter pithy flavors. Juicy Fruit aluminum gum wrapper.
There’s a really bold clove cigarette flavor on the finish with that minerality maintaining throughout. Slight salinity. Lime peel and leaf. Very clean flavors if a bit dry. The citrus note nags at your palate with a bitter lemon tea flavor.
Overall
This is an equally delicious batch from Israel. Quite the attractive label that did not at all influence my purchase. Not a bit.
Looking back at my thoughts on the Maguey Melate batch and I must say there are some incredibly similar notes. The citrus and salty, brine notes. That BBQ sauce similarity was unexpected. After trying these side by side, I might lean slightly in favor of the Maguey Melate batch. It has just a bit more to it. The flavors stand out more, with that sweet and sour lemon flavor. The texture is also notably richer. The Rayo Seco batch however had a tobacco finish that I really enjoyed more so than the sour notes of the other.
Both batches stand out and are worthy of purchase. I enjoyed both and will happily purchase the next batch from Israel.
