Reviews / 5 Sentidos Espadin Capon de Cuero

Review · · by The Editors

5 Sentidos Espadin Capon de Cuero

Capón espadín at 56.2% – the leather-bottle tradition meets high proof

Score: 4.0/5 agaves

5 Sentidos Espadin Capon de Cuero bottle
  • Producer: 5 Sentidos
  • Maestro: Alberto Martinez
  • Region: Santa Catarina Albarradas, Oaxaca
  • Agave: Espadin
  • ABV: 56.2%
  • Price: $70 ($)

Verdict

The 'de cuero' treatment, resting in animal-hide containers – is a tradition that can easily go wrong; Martinez uses it with restraint so it reads as a subtle leather note rather than a gimmick. One consensus review at 3.5 undersells this; the proof alone earns a half-step up. Compared with a Mal Bien capón or a Cuentacuentos release, this is more savage and more particular. Hunt it.

Espadín isn't supposed to be this much agave, and yet

Tasting notes

Nose: Roasted pineapple, then charred husk, wet stone, faint mint

Palate: Capón espadín (harvested after the quiote is cut, so sugars concentrate) already overdelivers; Alberto Martinez's clay-pot rig at 56.2% turns the concentration into something almost aggressive in the best sense, with the cured-leather note unique to the 'de cuero' treatment

Finish: Warming, lightly smoky

The bottom line

Track it down. A capón-plus-leather combination you won't find elsewhere at this proof

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