Reviews / Fuego y Humo Tepeztate

Review · · by The Editors

Fuego y Humo Tepeztate

Tepextate at 47% – Fuego y Humo's reference release, and a bottle that reorders the mid-tier tepextate conversation

Score: 4.5/5 agaves

Fuego y Humo Tepeztate bottle
  • Producer: Fuego y Humo Mezcal
  • Maestro: Jose Manuel Mendez
  • Region: San Dionisio Ocotepec, Oaxaca
  • Agave: Tepextate
  • ABV: 47%
  • Price: $70 ($$)

Verdict

Buy this if you want a tepextate that doesn't muddle at the finish – Fuego y Humo holds the mineral and floral notes apart from each other through the back palate, which is the discipline most mid-tier tepextates don't manage. A strong release that makes a credible case against Vago at similar money. Consensus 4.5 is earned; the legibility is the whole argument.

When a mid-tier producer nails tepextate, the whole category reconsiders

Tasting notes

Nose: Wildflower. Then wet stone, white pepper, cooling herb, a faint citrus high note and dried lavender underneath

Palate: Aromatic and textured at 47% – the agave's signature 25-year character is fully developed here

Finish: Unending. Drying, cooling, herbal, with a slow floral fade

The bottom line

Track it down

Where to buy online

We found this bottle at 2 US retailers. Prices and stock vary – click through to check.

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