Reviews / 5 Sentidos Espadin-Arroqueno

Review · · by The Editors

5 Sentidos Espadin-Arroqueno

Pedro Hernández in Santa Catarina Minas – espadín meets arroqueño in clay

Score: 4.0/5 agaves

5 Sentidos Espadin-Arroqueno bottle
  • Producer: 5 Sentidos
  • Maestro: Pedro Hernandez
  • Region: Santa Catarina Minas, Oaxaca
  • Agave: Arroqueño, Espadin
  • ABV: 47.4%
  • Price: $70 ($$)

Verdict

Santa Catarina Minas clay-pot work remains one of mezcal's most reliable signposts, and Pedro Hernández has been turning out credible blends for years. This isn't his most unusual release but it's a dependable one, closer in register to a Real Minero ensamble than to something like Lalocura, and worth picking up at the price when 5 Sentidos rations it out.

Minas clay plus arroqueño is a combination that rarely disappoints

Tasting notes

Nose: Cooked agave syrup, then wet earth, green pepper

Palate: Arroqueño's savory density grounds espadín's sweeter profile; 47.4% through Tio Pedro's ollas gives the blend a quiet weight, no fireworks, just a long mineral line through the middle

Finish: Earthy, faintly bittersweet – long

The bottom line

Pick it up. Clay-pot Minas ensambles this clean are harder to find than the price suggests

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