Mezcal Viejo Coyote Tepestate, An In-depth Review by Shay Addams

Made from an agave that grows wild in the mountains of Oaxaca for up to 25 years, Viejo Coyote Tepestate is still an average mezcal in flavor and body.

The bottler does not state if this mezcal is made in the traditional, artisanal way, or is industrially produced. Lack of a handwritten label noting the batch and bottle number and signature of the mezcalero would indicate that it is not artisanal, but “cooked” with machines rather than in a pit, and produced in huge vats.

It tastes like Peppermint Patty -- the candy, not the Peanuts cartoon character --  and appears to be a joven. No proof was listed on the label; it felt like under 75 proof, with no bite. It's more bland than smooth., and I did not get a lift from this mezcal as I do from the better brands.

Coyote does not appear to be exported, though several other bottlers have brands that include the name coyote. Mexican bars sell a shot for 65 pesos, about $3, which is expensive for such a watered down liquor. For another dollar, you can get an Amores and truly enjoy the experience. Even though the taste is more agreeable than cheaper mezcals like 400 Conejos and Gusano Rojo, I would prefer either of them over this pale imitation of Mexico’s finest liquor.

This outfit also makes a Tobala mezcal that is tastier and bolder, and something called Siete Misterios (Seven Mysteries), which I have not yet tasted.

Price: Not exported

Proof: Not listed on bottle

Rating: 1

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Las Amores Cupreata Mezcal, An In-dpeth Review by Shay Addams

Made from the rare cupreata agave that grows only on the remotes mountain slopes of the Rio Balsas basin in Michoacán and Guerrero, Amores Cupreata is a joven mezcal produced in Mazatlan, Mexico.

The label says this clear joven mezcal tastes like “slow dancing.” I have never tasted slow dancing, but would describe Amores Cupreata as smokier than their reposada and richer in taste. It tastes woody (but not Harrelson), bringing to mind a hike through the forest. It is also reminiscent of fresh pine needles from the floor of a Mexican nativity scene, and perhaps clove.

There is a light aftertaste and no bite. It hits the cheeks and lightly touches the roof of the mouth, and delivers a distinct buzz to the forehead.

The company makes far less of this brand than their reposada, so it is hard to find in Mexico and even more so in the United States and other countries. (Only 600 bottles comprised the entire lot of the batch from 2016 that I sampled.) The only bar that serves it in San Cristobal del las Casas, Mexico, is Pan Optica, which was down to one bottle after I left yesterday.

Price: $55

Proof: 80.6

Rating: 9

                                                 

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Las Amores Reposado Mezcal, An In-dpeth Review by Shay Addams

Las Amores, one of my favorite brands of mezcal, means “loves” (the noun) in Spanish. Las Amores makes joven, añejo and reposada from espadin agave, and an unusual mezcal from the rare cupreata agave. Amores Espadin is made from nine-year-old espadin agave in Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca.

Amores Reposada

Aged nine months in American oak barrels, the reposada tastes like a lush ripe pear or perhaps mango, though in both cases the flavor is understated. A hint of spearmint sends it to the roof of the mouth, like a good cognac.

Light smoke, crisp with no bite and smooth, it has a mild aftertaste. Eat an orange slice after drinking a shot or two, for a full and pleasurable sensation.

(Another reviewer describes the taste as “…like pencil shavings, smoked nut, dried tropical fruit, flan, and tobacco.” This guy is nuts! There is only one way to know the taste of pencil shavings, and I refuse to take advice on anything from someone who eats pencil shavings.)

One of my top five favorite mezcals, Amores reposada is too good to waste in a mixed drink. It makes an excellent aperitif. Or two. Also look for their Amores Cupreata, made from a rare agave.

Price: $65

Proof: 74

Rating: 8

                                     

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400 Conejos Mezcal: An In-depth Review by Shay Addams

Even the mezcaleria in San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico, doesn’t serve this rare mezcal, which is not exported. I found a bottle at the Pan Optica bar at the end of flagstone-tiled Guadalupe Real and dove right in.

400 Conjejos is a joven mezcal made with 100% espadín, a type of agave whose name means small sword and which is among the main types of agave used for mezcal. Joven means young, therefore unaged and clear. Unlike unaged tequila, called silver, joven mezcal has a distinct flavor and is far superior to its tequila counterpart. It’s an artisanal mezcal, produced in small batches with traditional methods.

The name, Centzon totochtin (400 or inumerable rabbits in Nahuatl) refers to the spirits of alcohol in Mesoamerica associated with sleep and awakening. Its effect varies according to which of these rabbits influences the drinker, say mezcaleros Don Tacho and Joel Santiago in Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca. Mesoamerican priests drank it during ceremonies in order to better communicate with their gods.

A Dangerous Man’s Mezcal

With the raw taste of a mezcal that is far from “fruity,” 400 Conejos is the kind of mezcal that would be served in a bar scene from a Tarantino flick. No worm, but it’s an ominous mezcal that Wes from the film Urban Cowboy would have surely drank straight from the bottle.

The smoke is thicker than the smog over Beijing. Don’t even think about a “lingering aftertaste,” just buckle up and get ready for a kick like one of the mules that powers the trapiche used to crush the agave hearts after fermenting in wooden tubs. Though 400 Conejos is 38 proof, the influence of the rabbit who rules the day you drink it delivers potent side effects.

Sipped and served with slices of orange and sal de gusano, or agave worm salt, 400 Conejos provides a solid base for comparing the wide range of mezcals. For a cocktail, the producers recommend spearmint and orange or lemon juice.

The catch is that you will have to travel to Mexico for 400 Conejos, which is not exported. But that’s one of the little things that make a Mexican vacation so worthwhile.

Price: Not Exported, but cheap in Mexico
Proof: The bottle I drank from did not state the proof, but it felt like 80+
Rating: 2

More In-depth Mezcal Reviews by Shay Addams

Mezcal Reviews by Shay Addams

The language of mezcal reviews written by today's liquor critics makes me want to throw up on my boots. “Fruity,” “buttery, “a hint of green apples” and other such descriptions and flowery prose make the mighty mezcal sound like a wimpy white wine rather than the awe inspiring drink of dangerous men like Pancho Villa, Doc Holliday and Wes, the cowboy gone bad in the film Urban Cowboy, which introduced mezcal to the American public in 1980. If I want a fruity drink, I’ll have an Orange Crush.

Mezcal Reviews Gone Bad

Why has the language of mezcal turned so, well, feminine? Could it be that contemporary journalists follow the lead of the marketing department of major brands and distributors who are bent on luring the ladies to mezcal in an effort to double their sales?

Nothing wrong with that, but still no excuse to demean the image of a macho drink that packs a far more powerful punch than its pale descendant, tequila.

Until recently, “smoky” was the key word used to describe mezcal; it remains the most accurate adjective. But the genuine taste of mezcal is danger, the sense that you are about to land in trouble, big trouble, and you don’t happen to have your lawyer’s phone number with you. This taste grows stronger after sipping the first shot, and the second, until you wake up in a drunk tank in a town whose name you cannot pronounce, or in a gutter along a street without a name.

My Mezcal Reviews

All my work in this field will focus on the dangerous and mysterious aspects of this powerful liquor, which I first wrote about in the early Eighties. 

Links to current brands reviewed on this blog:

400 Conejos

Las Amores Reposada Mezcal

Las Amores Cupreata Mezcal