Reviews / Espina Negra Tepeztate
Review · · by The Editors
Espina Negra Tepeztate
Tepextate at 45% – underpowered, which is the whole category's chronic problem at this proof
Score: 3.0/5 agaves
- Producer: Espina Negra Mezcal
- Maestro: Honorato Cruz Molina, Mayolo Cruz, Roque Cruz Molina
- Region: Santa Ana, Oaxaca
- Agave: Tepextate
- ABV: 45%
- Price: $70 ($$)
Verdict
Pass on this in favor of a Vago or Del Maguey tepextate at similar money – the Espina Negra production is clean, but the 45% bottling choice is the ceiling, and 25-year tepextate agave deserves more proof runway than that. A reasonable category-floor bottle that undersells its own raw material. Consensus 3.2 matches; the bottleneck is architectural.
Tepextate at 45% is the category's chronic undersell across every producer
Tasting notes
Nose: Wildflower with muted white pepper, a faint herbal note underneath
Palate: Aromatic but thin at 45%. Tepextate's 25-year maturation deserves more proof than this bottle commits – the character is legibly there but structurally undersupported, and the finish fades before the agave has had its full say
Finish: Cooling, with a slow floral fade
The bottom line
Buy a higher-proof tepextate if sipping matters
Where to buy online
We found this bottle at 1 US retailer. Prices and stock vary – click through to check.