Smoky And Smooth Mezcals, Tasted Double Blind And Ranked

Smoky Mezcal Reviewed — iStockphoto/UPROXX

Mezcal is the smoky progenitor of tequila. The agave-based spirit has a deep history across what’s now Mexico and America’s Southwest (where it is slowly making a comeback among the Mescalero Apache). In modern times, mezcal is the artisanal or hand-made cousin to the much more industrialized tequila (for the most part). It’s also just a different beast, thanks to a deeply hewn earthiness and smokiness, and it’s on the rise as people look for bolder flavors in their drinks.

Have you tried a mezcal Negroni yet? They’re awesome.

Today, it’s time for a double-blind taste test of some smooth and super smoky mezcals. I have a few shelves of mezcal and asked my very helpful wife to grab bottles that weren’t aged or flavored and catalog and pour them. I ended up with eight clear pours of very bold mezcal on the panel.

That makes our lineup today the following bottles of smoky mezcal:

Lobos 1707 Mezcal Artesanal
Mezcal Amarás Cupreata Mezcal Artesanal
Mezcal Ilegal Joven Special Edition
Bosscal Joven Mezcal Artesanal
Gracias a Dios Mezcal Artesanal Espadin Joven
La Tierra De Acre Cenizo Mezcal Artesanal
Mezcal Los Siete Misterios Arroqueño Mezcal Joven
Mezcal Verde Momento Mezcal Artesanal Joven

After tasting these mezcals, I ranked them based on overall quality and flavor. As an international spirits judge, I’ve judged a lot of agave-based spirits over the years. I keep things straightforward by looking at the quality of the base spirit and then the depth, balance, and overall enjoyable flavor of the spirit on the senses. In short, I was looking for good-tasting, well-made mezcal. The specifics about how the mezcal was made weren’t a factor as I had no idea what was in those glasses as I tasted them.

Let’s dive in!

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Tequila Posts Of The Last Six Months

Part 1 — The Mezcal Double-Blind Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Light notes of fireplace embers draw you in on the nose with a sense of white pepper, roasted agave, dark red wine, and a whisper of cacao nibs.

Palate: There’s almost a woody earthiness to the palate with a good dose of sweet fireplace smoke cut with caramelized agave over more of that cacao.

Finish: The end is sweetly spicy with a good sense of smoky agave next to smoldering cinnamon and clove.

Initial Thoughts:

This feels like classic mezcal from top to bottom — sweetly smoky, spicy, and very earthy.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a super earthy note that’s almost on fire with smoke as dried red chili, rich cacao, and old leather drive the nose toward a sense of dried pumpkin and the ends of cigarettes.

Palate: Roasting herbs and very black pepper pops on the palate as intense fireplace smoke drives the taste toward very dry chili pepper, black pepper, and caramelized agave with a soft creaminess.

Finish: That creaminess delivers more red and black spices (yes, burnt) on the finish with a sense of more of that smoldering black earth and a hint of pine-y tobacco leather pouches.

Initial Thoughts:

This is complex and bold with a delightfully soft mouthfeel. That creaminess goes a long way to making this a really enjoyable pour of mezcal.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose is fruity and lightly smoked with a good sense of peppery agave and pepper over flutters of apple cores, smoked orange, and maybe even some lavender.

Palate: That light floral note pops on the palate as caramelized pears and orange pith drive the taste toward light moments of butterscotch, smoldering black dirt, and a creamy nuttiness.

Finish: That creaminess drives the finish with a nice dose of nutty depth, more of that firey caramelized yet peppery agave, and plenty of orchard fruits and dark citrus.

Initial Thoughts:

This is another one that really stretches out for a great finish with that creamy texture. There’s a lot to like here.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Burnt orange peels and thin smoke lead to a moment of melon skins, old firewood, and soft black potting soil on the nose.

Palate: The orange mounts on the palate with a dose of peppery spice, smoky vanilla, and touches of peppery agave cut with citrus.

Finish: The citrus really mounts on the finish with a light sense of that smoky vanilla.

Initial Thoughts:

This is very light and smoky but sort of peters out at the end.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose on this one smells exactly like a caipirinha — lime, sugar, and white booze — with a hint of pepperiness and smoke.

Palate: The light smokiness continues on the palate with more of the caipirinha vibes before dry smoke arrives with a light sense of agave and dirt.

Finish: Smoky agave and black pepper drive the dry finish toward a hint of raw sugar.

Initial Thoughts:

This was so different that I’m not sure what to make of it. It was much closer to a cachaça on the nose and palate with a hint of smoke.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a sense of smokiness that leans toward fresh tires (like a hardcore peated Islay whisky) next to hints of dry red chili and black pepper over caramelized agave.

Palate: Those sharp spiciness notes drive the palate toward deep and dirty earthiness, more peppery smoke, and a dash of creaminess.

Finish: The creaminess takes on the black pepper and smoky dirt/tires on the finish with a bold sense of firey agave.

Initial Thoughts:

The nose on this was a lot to get past. There was a good flavor profile that leans heavily smoked/earthy and was saved by a touch of creamy mouthfeel.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Lime leaves and dried sage drive the nose toward grapefruit pith and mild earthiness with a good dose of pepper and smoky agace stems.

Palate: The citrus and herbal vibes mount on the palate as notes of burnt sugar and old lemon tea leaves lead to a bitter sense of burnt citrus tobacco.

Finish: Notes of black pepper and smoked dirt drive the finish toward a moment of pine-laced honey and more smoked black pepper.

Initial Thoughts:

This is sharp (peppery) and earthy yet balanced in just the right ways with citrus and sweetness.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Floral tea leaves and dry mint open the nose toward sweet fireplace smoke that’s almost like fresh tires next to a garden store.

Palate: Roasted agave and white pepper open the palate toward notes of caramel cut with earthy citrus pith and hints of dark spice barks.

Finish: The sweetness drives the smoky and earthy finish toward more white pepper and roasted agave with a nice sense of soft smoldering firewood.

Initial Thoughts:

This was nice. It wasn’t a “wow” pour but very much felt like a good standard mezcal.

Part 2 — The Mezcal Ranking

The creaminess of this pour really propelled it to the top of the panel. That soft mouthfeel was the perfect delivery system for deep, dark, and earthy mezcal notes that went hard but felt approachable. I can see sipping this over a big ice cube any day of the week.

Part 3 — Final Thoughts on the Mezcals

This panel of mezcals went from “that’s fine” to “I can see sipping this all the time” very quickly. For the absolute best overall experience, I’d focus on the top two bottles. The creaminess really helps those mezcals shine. That said, any of the top four are going to work well. I’d play around with numbers three and four more in cocktails but they’d work as slow sippers over ice any time too.

In the end, go back through the tasting notes and find one that speaks to you. Hit that price link and give it a try. It’ll be a smoky adventure that may well introduce you to a whole new world of fun, vibrant, and very earthy spirits.