Reviews / El Samaritano Ensamble
Review · · by The Editors
El Samaritano Ensamble
Three-agave ensamble at 42%. The proof undersells the format, which is the whole problem
Score: 2.5/5 agaves
- Producer: El Samaritano Mezcal
- Maestro: Ambrosio Martinez Blas
- Region: Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca
- Agave: Espadin, Madrecuishe, Tepextate
- ABV: 42%
- Price: $60 ($$)
Verdict
The recipe is ambitious; the proof cuts it off before it can work. An ensamble that needs room to develop gets the same commercial-economics proof ceiling as the entry espadín, and the composition collapses. Skip; Banhez Ensamble is cheaper and actually holds together.
Ensambles at 42% are a compromise the math can't support
Tasting notes
Nose: Cooked agave, then wildflower, faint herbal
Palate: Thin at 42%. Three wild agaves at 42% is a category math problem, each component needs more structural room than 42% can provide, and the result is an ensamble where nothing quite surfaces
Finish: With a faint herbal fade
The bottom line
Skip