Produced in Tlacolula, Oaxaca, this is a delicious Joven (young) Mezcal from Ilegal. Distilled from agave plants roasted in an earthen pit and distilled twice in a copper still.
Fresh flowers and pipe tobacco, peppermint and smoky agave plants. Herbal.
Sweet caramel notes with hints of Corinth raisins, dried herbs and black pepper.
Floral, faintly smoky finish.
I poured the mezcal in to a Glencairn glass and left covered for ten minutes. The spirit pours clear and has a light syrupy look as it’s rolled around the glass. On nosing the spirit has an instantly smokey note emanating from the glass, followed by notes of lemon, lime and a slightly salty tinge. There are softer tropical fruit and a slight pepper in the background. The nose is rich with hints of bitter chocolate and vanilla. The flavour is rich smokey and complex almost like an Islay whisky in flavour. There are hints of roasted tropical fruit, lemon and a slight salt and pepper note through the middle of the taste. There are notes of apple, chocolate and dried chili towards the end of the taste. The finish is dry with a lingering peppery flavour but the smoke dies out quite quickly.
