Mezcal: Del Maguey Wild Papalome vs Del Maguey Wild Tepextate
Tequila and Mezcal are distilled from the crushed cooked and fermented Agave plant. But while Tequila must be made from the Blue Agave, Mezcal may be made from any variety. As you might imagine, different varieties might have different characteristics both in flavour and in appearance.
For example this is the Espadin variety, commonly used to make Mezcal.
(photo: Alipus)
And this is the Wild Papalome. To my amateur eye it looks almost like a different plant altogether. Figure that.
(photo: Del Maguey)
Del Maguey Wild Papalome 45%
Nose: Quite a fresh nose, creamy and rather smooth. Barky with a fresh green sort of herby sappy buzz. Juniper, burning peppercorns, fallen pine needles and fresh mulch underfoot. The earthiness is a clean and fresh one, smelling of dug up roots and black compost without being heavy or dirty. A clean claypot. Burning sage. A fresh and friendly Mezcal.
Palate: Smoky sweet, with a clean and earthy white heat. More of these green juices bark tea, spinach juice, mulch, clean white smoke. Really quite a friendly one.
Finish: Medium short, dry dusty bitter, white clay and smoke.
Del Maguey Wild Tepextate 45%
Nose: A few levels more intense in the herbals department – more medicinal, more sooty, more ‘raw’ for lack of a better word – nutmeg juice, licorice sticks, aniseed paste. Piles of dried bark waiting to be dispensed for every ailment imaginable. There are hints of brine and capers, and lemon rind. And yet while it is still all of the following, it is not particularly dirty, earthy or smoky either.
Palate: Feels a lot more forward and yet without the white heat and spiciness of the Papalome. More herby-complex too with a whole palette of green hues. Very good.
Finish: Medium. Smoother, sweeter, dry smoky, herby. Great Mezcal.
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