Reviews / Erstwhile Espadin Limited Edition 2021
Review · · by The Editors
Erstwhile Espadin Limited Edition 2021
2021 limited-edition espadín at 50% – a meaningful step up from the 2018 vintage and the better of the pair
Score: 3.5/5 agaves
- Producer: Erstwhile Mezcal
- Maestro: Abel Quiroz
- Region: Sola de Vega, Oaxaca
- Agave: Espadin
- ABV: 50%
- Price: $70 ($)
Verdict
Buy the 2021 over the 2018 – the jump to 50% is what turns a legitimate mid-tier espadín into something with small-premium structure, and the agave holds clean weight through the mid-palate the earlier vintage couldn't muster. The better Erstwhile vintage, and a useful proof lesson in one bottle. Consensus 3.8 is conservative; we land at 4.0.
Proof is a producer choice; the 2021 made the right one
Tasting notes
Nose: Warm stone first up front. Then cooked agave, mineral damp, clear smoke underneath
Palate: Dense at 50% – the higher proof gives the vintage more structural presence than the 2018
Finish: Drying, iron-tinged, with a slow smoke fade. Stays very long
The bottom line
Track it down