Other Spirits

Mezcal Vago Elote

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Mezcal Vago Elote

49.7% ABV
$60
Website
Mezcal Vago Elote

What the Distillery Says

Each of our unique mezcals is naturally made in a traditional palenque with no additives. On the front label of each of our bottles, all the information is there about who made it, what pueblo, what agave, details in the process, size of batch and more.

This is connoisseur mezcal. We aim to empower both the master craftsmen with a celebration of his art, and also the consumer by giving them the knowledge they need to find a great mezcal. All of our mezcals are joven (young) and clear, exactly as our mezcaleros have been crafting them for generations.
NOTE: My sample from Flaviar only states the ABV at 49.7%, and not the other details unfortunately.

What Gary Says

DISCLAIMER: I’m a whisk(e)y enthusiast, and not familiar with Mezcal (so read at your own risk!)
Nose:  Roasted corn, vegetal, subtle tropical fruitiness, cut hay, smoke with a touch of menthol.
Palate:  Cast iron corn bread, fresh cracked pepper, subtle fruit, bit of lime.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length, smokey and drying with lime zest.
Comments:  My second of the three samples from the Flaviar Mezcal tasting box, and very similar to the Rey Campero Espadin Mezcal – just a bit more smoke, less fruity, bit more of an edge.  A bit of water didn’t thicken this one up like the Rey Campero either, so while neat they were fairly similar – if I was picking a favorite of the two I would go with that one. Nothing objectionable here – another enjoyable pour. and the fruit leaning towards lime – with a bit of a pepper bite . As a reminder, given my inexperience in this category, I’m not comfortable assigning any different rating for these three. I enjoyed this one, and despite liking the other more, can’t really inform if it was a good, average, great example of the category – so will leave it as Stands Out. If anyone finds I’m short-changing any, that’s the reason why.

Rating: Stands Out

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Rey Campero Espadin Mezcal

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Rey Campero Espadin Mezcal

48.3% ABV
$50
Website
Rey Campero Espadin Mezcal

What the Distillery Says

NOTE: Content is in Spanish, below is using Google Translate; apologies for any errors!
The size of the maguey espadín is 1.5 m wide and 1 m high on average. It is the most used in Oaxaca for the production of mezcal. It is the maguey with the greatest geographic presence in Mexico, whose morphological plasticity led to the description of more than 20 species. The maturation time varies between 7 and 10 years.

What Gary Says

DISCLAIMER: I’m a whisk(e)y enthusiast, and not familiar with Mezcal (so read at your own risk!)
Nose:  Roasted corn, vegetal, smokey botanicals and herbs, notes of cut hay, tropical fruitiness, olives, and lemongrass.
Palate:  Roasted corn with dried ‘not ripe yet’ orange, kiwi and mango, bit of green tobacco.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length, drying with smoke and tobacco.
Comments:  This was the first of three samples in a Flaviar Mezcal tasting box (which I sampled/reviewed side by side), and my first studied tasting of Mezcal. As I’m most familiar with whisk(e)y, I naturally find similarities there – with this reminding me a bit of a white dog; young, corny, but smokey and less sweet. I preferred this after a bit of water was added, which thickened the mouthfeel and sweetened it up more. Given my inexperience in this category, I’m not comfortable assigning any different rating for these three. I enjoyed it, but couldn’t assess if it was a good, average, great example of the category – so will leave it as Stands Out. If anyone finds I’m short-changing any, that’s the reason why.

Rating: Stands Out

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El Dorado 21 Year Old Rum

/ / Other Spirits, Review /

El Dorado 21 Year Old Special Reserve Finest Demerara Rum

40% ABV
$120
Website
El Dorado 21 Yr Special Reserve Rum

What the Distillery Says

This richly crafted rum has been laid down in oak barrels for at least 21 years then artfully blended for you to savour and enjoy.

Tasting Notes
Nose of mocha, toffee, tobacco, and dark spices. The mouth is velvety smooth with full body of tropical fruits, coffee, leather, and rich toffee. The Finish is nutty and smoky.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Burnt demerara sugar, fruitcake soaked in rum, oak, toasted orange zest, baking spices, brown sugar, raisins and plums.
Palate:  Fruitcake with orange, apricot, coconut, raisins, bits of dark chocolate, medium roast coffee and honey.
Finish:  Moderately long and drying.
Comments:  Hands down my favorite of the three. A nice step up from the 15 yr, although I can’t say I like it 2.5x as much as the 15 yr. Like whisk(e)y, the price starts to get crazy with age for a number of reasons. And like whisk(e)y, I often find that jump in price doesn’t align with my enjoyment. Price aside, this one definitely stood out.

Rating: Stands Out

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El Dorado 15 Year Old Rum

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El Dorado 15 Year Old Special Reserve Finest Demerara Rum

40% ABV
$50
Website
El Dorado 15 Yr Rum

What the Distillery Says

This rum has been laid down in oak barrels for at least 15 years then artfully blended using the Enmore and Diamond Coffey Stills, the Port Mourant Double Wooden Pot Still and the Versailles Single Wooden Pot Still – for you to savor and enjoy

Tasting Notes
Full nose packed with dark coffee, candied orange, almonds, dark chocolate, pepper and rich vanilla. Beautifully rounded palate with a great spread of flavours: grilled tropical fruit with smooth oaky spice – silky, vibrant and moderately full-bodied.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Similar to the 12 yr with more brown sugar and molasses, a bit more of an herbal quality (celery?) and roasted coconut husks.
Palate:  Bit more candied orange, along with bits of kiwi and green plantains in dark molasses, little pepper and oak.
Finish:  Short and dry, more bitter than the 12 yr with a wisp of pepper.
Comments:  I definitely prefer this over the 12 yr. The nose is a small step up, but the palate made a much bigger leap (almost to where I enjoy the nose and palate equally, but not quite). The finish isn’t much better.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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El Dorado 12 Year Old Rum

/ / Other Spirits, Review /

El Dorado 12 Year Old Finest Demerara Rum

40% ABV
$35
Website
El Dorado Special Reserve 12 Year Old Rum

What the Distillery Says

This rum has been laid down in oak barrels for at least 12 years producing a rich and diverse spirit. Blended to perfection using a combination of the Enmore and Diamond Coffey Stills and the Port Mourant Double Wooden Pot Still.

Tasting Notes
Lush tropical fruit and spice nose with hints of honey and dark sugar. The profile is round, mellow and full bodied with rich flavors of fruits and spice. The finish is delightful, elegant and dry.

NOTE: Back in April 2009, El Dorado 12 Yr was actually our 9th review (ever) on this site. My notes below are new, but including both Richard & Matt’s notes from that review below as well.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Crème brûlée that’s extra toasty, floral notes, coconut, tobacco, subtle orange zest with bits of toffee.
Palate:  Sweet with a touch of candied orange, vanilla, a hint of cinnamon and a slightly sour oak note.
Finish:  Short and drying, with a slightly bitter molasses note.
Comments:  I’m not a rum aficionado. Richard had bequeathed a sample set from El Dorado which included the 12 yr, 15 yr, and 21 yr for site review – so I assumed (yeah, I know what it means) that it hadn’t been reviewed. It wasn’t until I was putting together the post that I realized the boys had review this over 10 yrs ago. We all had a bit of a different take on this one, although like them I found the nose to stand out while the palate was highly ordinary (and agree with Richard – I don’t buy to just smell!) I will say this isn’t as syrupy sweet as some other rums, which I appreciate.

Rating: Average

What Matt says:

Nose: It has your typical rum notes (vanilla, caramelized sugar), but there are also some botanicals in there. It is almost like a craft gin married with a somewhat typical rum.
Palate: Vanilla, the sugar moves a little toward burnt from the nicely caramelized nose, there is also an oak component.
Finish: Here the sugar moves all the way to burnt with a long alcoholic burn.
Comments: Rum has never been my favorite alcoholic beverage. In my youth, I had too many encounters with inferior rums like Captain Morgan or Bacardi. I did not really appreciate rum until I spent some time in the Caribbean, where rum is a part of the culture. I discovered that rum can be really good. Indeed, rum is starting to become part of the craft distillation movement. This means that rum will be increasingly drinkable as a stand-alone. This rum lives up to those standards. This means that it holds up to being served neat. However, compared to other craft rums, this lacks a little nuance on the palate. The palate just does not deliver what the nose promised. This makes the rating a little difficult. By the standards of every rum on the market, I would say that it stands out, but compared to craft rums it is only average. In fact, I would recommend Appleton’s, a widely available macro-rum, above this one.

Rating: Average

What Richard says:

Nose: Burnt caramel, vanilla, candied apricots, honey-dipped oranges, a hint of mint, floral notes of lavender and…rose? Very, very sweet. You can almost taste the sugar cane through the nose.
Palate: All sugar and alcohol. As lovely as the nose was, the palate is very two dimensional.
Finish: Heavy on the alcohol. It kind of finishes like a strong cough syrup.
Comments: I am admittedly not the most well versed rum drinker. That said, this stands out against your baseline Bacardi and Captain Morgan. That palate and finish aren’t noteworthy but nose is exceptional. But we buy it to drink it not to smell it.

Rating: Average

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