Reviews / Elenita Pineapple Jalapeño
Review · · by The Editors
Elenita Pineapple Jalapeño
Pineapple-jalapeño canned cocktail at 5% – sweet-heat summer format with mezcal as an accent note
Score: 2.5/5 agaves
- Producer: Elenita
- Region: San Dionisio Ocotepec, Oaxaca
- Agave: Espadin
- ABV: 5%
- Price: $40 ($)
Verdict
Don't buy this expecting mezcal – the pineapple-jalapeño RTD uses mezcal as background seasoning, and the smoke carries as a flavor note rather than a spirit. Fine enough for what it is, a canned cocktail in the Cutwater tier. Rating it against Banhez or Fidencio is a category error the shelf placement invites.
A cocktail in a can using mezcal the way margaritas use tequila – as a base, not a character
Tasting notes
Nose: Pineapple, jalapeño, faint mezcal smoke, a trace of citrus underneath
Palate: Sweet with a soft heat at 5%. A reasonable canned cocktail with jalapeño contributing a controlled warmth rather than real spice, pineapple providing most of the structural flavor, and mezcal supplying texture more than voice
Finish: Short, warm, with a slow fruit fade
The bottom line
Cooler, not shelf
Where to buy online
We found this bottle at 5 US retailers. Prices and stock vary – click through to check.