Reviews / Koch Espadin Artesanal

Review · · by The Editors

Koch Espadin Artesanal

Koch's baseline – better than most bar espadíns, priced like a handshake

Score: 3.5/5 agaves

Koch Espadin Artesanal bottle
  • Producer: Koch Mezcal
  • Maestro: Lucio Bautista, Pedro Hernandez
  • Region: Rio de Ejutla, San Baltazar Guélavila, Oaxaca
  • Agave: Espadin
  • ABV: 47%
  • Price: $49 ($)

Verdict

Reach for Koch espadín when you want mezcal on the table and don't want to audit the pour, an honest mid-shelf bottle that won't make you miss Vida but won't make you miss money either. It drinks without opinions, which is a kind of opinion in a category that rewards eccentricity. Buy it for mixing; pour something else when you're actually paying attention. Consensus 3.7 is earned.

The right espadín to recommend when Vida is underfoot

Tasting notes

Nose: Cooked agave, green herb, soft smoke, faint banana, a whisper of citrus peel

Palate: Medium weight, clean, well-proofed at 47% – more body than the price tier typically delivers, and the San Baltazar Guelavila village profile comes through as a slightly cleaner-than-Matatlán mineral edge

Finish: Dry, faintly bitter. Stays medium-long

The bottom line

A step up from Del Maguey Vida at similar money. The right house bottle

Where to buy online

We found this bottle at 5 US retailers. Prices and stock vary – click through to check.

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