Tag Archives: Mezcal

Mezcal / Tequila Night: Beyond the Shot Glass

Posted on by
Reply

Sometimes it is good to shake things up! Whilst the vast majority of our explorations are focused on whiskies – particularly single malts – it’s clear there has been a shift in the spirits world towards an interest in tequila and mezcal.

Tequila and mezcal are often misunderstood — reduced to salt, lime, smoke, or bravado — in reality, they are expressive terroir-driven spirits. Made from agave that can take seven to twenty-five years to mature, these spirits reflect place, climate, soil, and choice.

For seasoned spirits lovers, tequila and mezcal reward slow attention: the difference between roasted and steamed agave, the subtle or stronger influence of oak, the role of fermentation, and the quiet power of alcohol strength.

Our tasting explored a curated range of modern icons and traditional benchmarks — from softly smoky, approachable mezcals to single-estate tequilas that showcase agave in its purest form. Whether you’re here to dissect terroir or simply to understand why one sip tastes wildly different from the next, this is an invitation to slow down, explore thoughtfully, and taste with curiosity.

Part 1: Intro to TEQUILA

Part 2: Tour of MEZCAL

Part 3: Tapatío TEQUILA Duo

Nice to contrast and compare the light “resting” in oak with an extra-aged expression.

What separates good agave spirits from great ones is choice. The choice of agave, how it’s cooked, and whether it’s rested or aged, all leave their mark in the glass. A 38% traditional reposado can feel just as expressive as a 45% mezcal, depending on balance and structure.

For the experienced taster, these bottles reveal layers: mineral notes shaped by soil, smoke that whispers, not roars, oak that supports rather than dominates. With such an experience, there is no doubt that tequila and mezcal are not party tricks, but spirits meant to be savored.

The best way to approach them is without expectation. Try them neat. Add a few drops of water. Revisit them over time. Let your palate adjust, and your preferences evolve. Because once you start tasting agave spirits with attention, there’s no going back to the shot glass — only forward, one considered sip at a time.

PS. For convenience, we did indeed try our wee 10ml tasting pours in shot glasses

PPS. Most bottles in this tasting range from about £35 to £95 in the UK, with aged expressions and craft mezcals tending toward the higher end.

Interested in catching more? Why not follow Whisky Lady on:

Mezcal Part 2: Ojo de Dios, Casamingos, Ilegal, The Lost Explorer

Posted on by
1

After a crash course in tequila, we moved on to the second part: a tour of mezcal.

Mezcal is a traditional Mexican spirit distilled from roasted agave. Unlike tequila, which is made exclusively from Blue Weber agave and primarily in Jalisco, mezcal can be produced from dozens of agave varieties—most commonly Espadín—across several Mexican states, with Oaxaca at its heart.

What defines mezcal is its method. Agave hearts (piñas) are typically roasted in underground earthen pits, crushed, naturally fermented, and distilled in small batches. This process creates mezcal’s signature smoky, earthy character—though the level of smoke can range from subtle to intense depending on technique and producer.

Mezcal is broadly categorized by aging:

  • Joven (or Blanco): Unaged, showcasing pure agave and smoke
  • Reposado: Rested in oak, adding softness and spice
  • Añejo: Aged longer, offering richness and depth

Mezcal is best understood not as a single style, but as a category defined by region, technique, and tradition.

To help understand the different styles, we explored a Mezcal quintet of:

  • Ojo de Dios Joven Mezcal 45% £38
  • Casamigos Mezcal 40% ~£70
  • Ilegal Mezcal Reposado 40% ~£60
  • The Lost Explorer Mezcal (Espadín) 40% ~£60
  • Ilegal Mezcal Añejo (Special Edition) 40% ~£95

So what did we think?

Ojo de Dios Joven Mezcal 45%

Ojo de Dios Joven Mezcal offers a bolder, higher-proof expression from Espadín agave in Oaxaca. Despite its strength, it is quite balanced, combining earthy smoke with spice and cheese.

  • Nose: It greeted us with Pillsbury dough, then roasted pineapple, sweet grass smoke, and dried spice
  • Palate: Wow! So unique! It started as smoked ham, then settled on smoked cheese, joined by mocha and cinnamon, almost resinous
  • Finish: Dry

We set this one aside and came back to it repeatedly. There was something distinctly compelling about this mezcal. And though it became more and more ashy the more time it spent in the glass, the smoked cheese remained consistent!

Casamigos Mezcal (Joven) 40%

Casamigos Joven Mezcal is crafted from 100% Espadín agave grown in Oaxaca, Mexico, using traditional earthen pit roasting that lends gentle smokiness without overpowering the agave. Designed to be approachable yet authentic, it’s widely regarded as an excellent “gateway” mezcal for both curious newcomers and seasoned drinkers seeking balance over intensity.

  • Nose: Initially a bit herbal, then revealed lots of coffee, chocolate, dried fruit, even watermelon and apple, rather than citrus
  • Palate: Soft smoke, black pepper, roasted agave
  • Finish: Clean, light, and quite “green”, with a slight hint of smoke initially, yet by the 2nd sip closed on an ashy note

Sip neat first, give it time to open and reveal its ashy dry sweetness.

Ilegal Mezcal Reposado 40%

Ilegal Reposado Mezcal is made from 100% Espadín agave in Oaxaca and rested for approximately six months in oak barrels, softening the mezcal’s natural smokiness while introducing subtle sweetness and spice. This expression bridges traditional mezcal and aged spirits, appealing particularly to whisky and rum drinkers.

  • Nose: For us, despite the colour, we thought first of moonshine! Then grapes, followed by a bit of burnt caramel
  • Palate: A bit rough, bitter clove, a touch of wood, ash, orange peel
  • Finish: Limited and ashy

I gotta be honest, this didn’t work for us. I even scribbled in my notes that it was more of an “angry cask” than a gentle resting in oak.

The Lost Explorer Mezcal (Espadín) 8 Year 42%

The Lost Explorer Espadín Mezcal aims to highlight the natural sweetness of agave with restrained smoke. Produced in Oaxaca with sustainability at its core, it purports to offer a refined, elegant interpretation of mezcal. What we found was anything but this!

  • Nose: It began with a promising orchard fruit aroma with green apples, fresh herbs, and light smoke, then quickly shifted into wet coconut coir, vegetable compost – a polite way of saying rotting fruits and vegetables
  • Palate: Earthy, green zucchini
  • Finish: Thankfully limited

There was quite a strong negative reaction to this one. Once zucchini was mentioned, we just couldn’t shake it as the prominent flavour!

Our host openly admitted being lured by the age and curiosity. However, discovering a dud is just part of the spirits tasting journey.

Ilegal Mezcal Añejo (Special Edition) 40% 025/900, Lot 189

Aged for approximately one year in oak, Ilegal Añejo showcases a richer, more contemplative side of mezcal.

  • Nose: Very ripe red apples, maple syrup, dried fruits
  • Palate: Dark chocolate, roasted agave, toasted oak
  • Finish: Smoky-sweet closing on cinnamon spice

What a contrast from the Reposado! This was definitely a mezcal for the whisky fans – one person even compared it to sipping Jameson! We thought it could be nice to sip with just one ice cube. A treat to try!

It was a terrific range, with a range of reactions. Overall, The Lost Explorer had the most detractors, whisky lovers tended to favour the Ilegal Añejo, and the Ojo de Dios was clearly distinctive with its smoked cheese aroma and flavour!

Next up? Our 3rd and final part features a duo from Tapatío:

Interested in catching more? Why not follow Whisky Lady on:

Denmark’s Stauning Rye with Mezcal finish

Posted on by
Reply

This wasn’t my first taste of Denmark’s Stauning offerings…. a distillery in Western Denmark started by nine friends back in 2005. I believe my first sample of their Rye was before it could even officially be called whisky and the 2nd their 2nd batch of peat. So I was curious to see how they evolved over the last few years.

This particular bottle with its original artwork and distinctive name “Bastard” was what inspired the whole evening’s trio of unusual finishes. You gotta admit, with both a moniker like “Bastard” and a roaring slobbering wild beast on the bottle, one can’t help but think this will be a brash bold humdinger of a dram!

So what did we think?

Stauning Rye (2021) Mezcal Finish 46.3%

  • Nose – Caraway, rye, grassy, heather… a hint of smoke like faint smoke of sweet grass, some sour mash that then shifted into quite a strong sourdough bread, honey-sweet with slightly sour yogurt… then as it opened up further heaps of caramel, quite warming with a touch of salt, dried cherry or that Chinese dried plum that is all at the same time sweet, sour, spicy and salty! Then shifted to porridge, a bit of oak and something else which was a bit hard to pin down – perhaps this is the Mezcal element??
  • Palate – Think dark rye bread, some burnt caramel, resin, and yes – here you can find a Mezcal influence combined with sweet spices like cinnamon – a slightly curious combination with the rye
  • Finish – Wood shavings and sawdust, very bitter and long

Clearly young and a bit brash – once the aromas settled down there was a pleasant sweet sourdough on the nose. Overall an interesting experiment and talk turned to how it should pair well with cigars…. however I will admit this isn’t one I’m desperate to run out and repeat!

What do the folks at Stauning have to say about the “Bastard”?

The wind from the North Sea mixes blood with the desert of Mexico in this double-distilled rye whisky aged in old mezcal casks. An illegal love affair with a gentle and exotic aftertaste.

Stauning Bastard a rye whisky made purely of local ingredients, malted on the floor at our distillery and double-distilled in flame-heated pot stills. After three years in new, toasted virgin American oak casks, it has been rounded off with 6-months ageing in old mezcal casks from Mexican Oro de Oaxaca.

The result is an elegant love child whose equal you won’t find anywhere else in this world.

Official tasting notes:

  • Nose – Sweet tobacco smoke, raisins, oat biscuit, citrus, oak
  • Taste – Tobacco, vanilla, barley, dried fruit, cinnamon, brown sugar, molasses, shortbread, oak
  • Finish – Long sweet, slightly smoky, salty, brown sugar, pepper

Well…. I’m not sure I would describe this as an ‘elegant love child’ however would agree to the oats, oak,

So here goes an evening devoted to a curious trio of Rum, Tequila and Mezcal finishes with:

If you don’t want to miss a post, why not follow Whisky Lady on: