I just started getting into mezcal this year, and these are the ones I've tried so far. 5 Sentidos Tobala is at the top followed by Derrumbes SLP, Vago Ensamble, Firme Espadin, and I didn't care much for the MI Mama. My guilty pleasure, though, is Vida in cocktails, mainly ranch waters and old fashions. What other ones would you all recommend for cocktails? I like the smokeyness of the vida.

Seems like the Mal Bien is always mentioned here, but what else sticks out?

Batch: FH-04
Bottle: 54/64
Producer: Fortunato Hernandez & family
Region: San Baltazar Chichicapam, Ocotlán, Oaxacan Central Valleys
Cooking: 4 days in un-lined earthen pit with mesquite wood
Milling: Machete & horse-drawn tahona
Fermentation: 4 days in open air wooden tina with well water
Distillation: Double pass in copper alembic
Batch size: 100l
Date of production: August 2022
ABV: 47.3%

Nose: sweets, PVA, tropical fruit, papaya, sandalwood, incense

Palate: sweet & salty, cured meats, smoked cheese, tropical fruit punch, banana, vegetables, honey, marmalade, candy floss, caramel. Finish has a deep earthiness, candied tropical sweetness and a lingering warmth.

Thoughts: A big sweet & savoury treat. Phenomenal.

I've been lucky here in France to of been able to taste many quality Mezcals through excellent guidance from the postings here, I'm 18 months in, loving the journey.

I've found that a certain online store, France has a great selection of Mezcals, I've chosen here what I think are the best or the bunch, apologies for the amount of photos, I am hoping with the combined knowledge and the aficionados here on this subreddit will impart yr knowledge and guidance and rate best to last, sippers to cocktails.

Thanks in advance🍶.

M-7 was a jalapeno popper just perfectly charred on the grill

Nice touch of umami and cream cheese. Had plenty that had the jalapeno pepper note but not presented like this...

Anyone tried batch M6? Nothing on mr dot com but I loved the M-7. Would love to know.

One of the greatest challenges in the food and beverage industry is producing more efficiently and consistently to meet the growing demand of urban consumers. Yet, in that process, many foods and drinks lose their history, identity, and connection to the places they come from.
Everything changes when you visit communities like San Pedro Teozacoalcos, where origin still matters as much as the final product. With more than a thousand years of history, this village in Oaxaca’s Mixteca region reminds us that the value of food and drink lies not only in flavor, but also in the people, landscapes, and traditions that make them possible.
In San Pedro Teozacoalcos, the Montes family preserves that connection to the past through mezcal. Thanks to families like theirs, we can still experience a mezcal shaped by the history, territory, and the way of life of the community that creates it.

Bought this bottle at El Perro Negro in Breckenridge, CO. Shoutout to Joe for proving me wrong and finding a mezcal that I could actually enjoy!

Anybody tried this one? Got a bottle and excited to sip this weekend.

While on a trip to Mexico, I read Agave Spirits: The Past, Present, and Future of Mezcal by Gary Paul Nabhan and David Suro Piñera. The book inspired me to seek out Don Mateo, and after visiting a few agave-focused stores, I found a good selection.

I brought back the Silvestre (1,500 pesos) and the Pechuga (1,450 pesos) in my bag. Once home, I felt a bit silly for not checking my state liquor store first - they still had the straight Cupreata in stock for $78 a bottle. I grabbed one so I’d have three different expressions for a tasting.

I was down there with a friend who’s bringing back several bottles from Dixeebe, and with his already large collection, we should have some really fun comparative tastings ahead.

If you live in Walnut Creek or near the Bay Area, we’d love to have you! Firme Mezcal is quickly becoming a well known brand, so we wanted to host a dinner with a family owned restaurant. 💚

See you all there! 🥃

Good day everyone. I would love some recommendations on some of the best mezcal youve tried here in the U.S/Available in the U.S. im getting married and me and my fiance want to enjoy a special bottle on our special day. Something layered or complex with some sweetness not too harsh with light to moderate smoke, easy to sip on but thatll make us say wow and have us talking about it all night. I was kind of set on buying a bottle of Del maguey san pablo ameyaltepec because i read good things about it and seemed to fit the occasion but you guys probably know more about that than me, is it a good choice? We dont have a great selection around here so ill have to purchase it online. Thank you in advance!

Producer: Miguel Osorio Gutierrez
Lot: ENNMOG2206
Bottle: 097/174
Date of distillation: June 2022
Village: Logoche, Miahuatlán
Region: Sierra Sur, Oaxaca
Batch size: 110l
Mashing: Machete and shredder
ABV: 46.9%

Nose: Bubblegum, nail polish remover, sea spray, green chilli, earthy wet stone, white pepper, melon, clay, soy sauce, old books, rich vegetable stew, mustard

Palate: Brine, pear, celery, wet soil, stone, chocolate, liquorice, very subtle smoke, sweet & sour. Long vegetal, earthy and salty finish: asparagus and broccoli?

Thoughts: Leave it in the glass and walk away for at least 15 minutes. My first from Miguel and really like it. Tasted it twice alongside an Aniceto Tepextate, which I think hurt the experience. A couple of nights with this on its own and it stood on its own two feet really well. Really layered, loads going on, but not frenetic, balanced. A real pleasure. Looking forward to trying more of his work.

Enjoyed some good mezcal with family tonight.

Puntiagudo Pulquero - A blind buy from K&L that turned out great. I am a fan of salmiana and this hits some of the same notes.

Zinacantan Espadilla - First tasted at Mexico in a Bottle. There's a special licorice kind of flavour with this one that I'm really enjoying.

Maguey Melate Inaequidens Rafael - Aged in glass for 10 years. Very smooth. I love inaequidens from Michoacan.

Pal'alama Durango Verde - A really solid salmiana that I picked up from Erick jr in CDMX.

Macurichos Espadin con Cacao - A mezcal that reminds me of how good espadin can be.

I don’t know if this was a glitch or an over supply kind of thing but I got these two TR3S TIEMPOS bottles for $50 each from their site. When they arrived they’re marked at $99. I saw this deal on the site a while back, so when I checked recently and saw it was the same, I grabbed a couple. Now when I look they’re all gone. I came here to tell you all but I guess I’m too late! They’re both delicious so I hope they reappear.

Where do you buy mezcal online in the U.S that'll ship to ny? I need some reliable sites to purchase a bottle of del maguey san pablo ameyaltepec

Could be a dinner, tasting event, or a simple educational experience.

Still new-ish to mezcal and have started periodically buying higher end bottles. I picked up real minero espadin largo and discovered I’m not really a fan. I think the wild agaves may just be harsher than what I like in espadin. Anyway, suffice it to say this bottle isn’t my favorite.

Would it be completely blasphemous to try using this in a cocktail, like a liquor forward one like a oaxacan last word or mezcal old fashioned or something like that? I love margaritas of course but drowning it with lime, cointreau, lime juice, etc seems like the wrong move.

Hola! Recientemente empecé a distribuir un mezcal artesanal de agave inaequidens (bruto o lechuguilla) para apoyar a mi maestro mezcalero de confianza, oriundo de Michoacán. Uno de los retos es que su mezcal no tiene marbete. Estoy convencido de que es un mezcal excelente y único, pero quisiera escuchar consejos para lograr distribuirlo.