Vago Elote - Aquilino García López vs Banhez Espadin & Barril

Two bottles that end up on the same shelf, tasted the same way on the same rubric. Scores, current average US prices, and the call.

	Vago Elote - Aquilino García López	Banhez Espadin & Barril
Our score	4.0/5	3.5/5
The public	3.7	3.4
Price	$56	$33
ABV	50%	42%
Agave	Espadin	Barril, Espadin
Region	Candelaria Yegole, Oaxaca	Ejutla, Oaxaca

The call

Vago Elote - Aquilino García López outscores it by 0.5 and costs $23 more. We would pay the difference for drinking neat and keep Banhez Espadin & Barril for cocktails.

Vago Elote - Aquilino García López

The bottle to open when you want to change someone's mind about the category

Nose: Tortilla hot off the comal, browned butter, campfire embers

Palate: Unmistakably savory – tamal, roasted corn, soft smoke, with just enough agave sweetness to stop it tipping into kitchen-adjacent. 50% is load-bearing

Finish: Nutty, a lingering warmth that reads as heat rather than burn

Read the full Vago Elote - Aquilino García López review

Banhez Espadin & Barril

The default first bottle, with Mestiza Negra ($20 at Trader Joe's) as its rival

Nose: Green herbs with melon rind, cooked agave

Palate: Brighter and more aromatic than its price tier suggests, the barril adds a savory undertow under the espadín's sweetness

Finish: Clean, faintly bitter – medium

Read the full Banhez Espadin & Barril review

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