Reviews / La Nina del Mezcal Espadin
Review · · by The Editors
La Nina del Mezcal Espadin
House espadín at 48% – Armando Hernández Lorenzo, proof doing the work
Score: 4.0/5 agaves
- Producer: La Niña del Mezcal
- Maestro: Armando Hernandez Lorenzo
- Region: Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca
- Agave: Espadin
- ABV: 48%
- Price: $55 ($)
Verdict
La Niña's base espadín is a model for how to bottle a workhorse agave – 48% is the inflection point, Armando Hernández Lorenzo's production is clean, and the price puts it in competition with Banhez and Fidencio where it holds its own. Not a wild-agave substitute, but the best 48% espadín you can buy under $60 that we know of. Consensus 4.0; we agree.
48% espadín is the proof at which Oaxacan angustifolia stops apologizing
Tasting notes
Nose: Warm stone first up front. Then cooked agave, light smoke, green herb underneath
Palate: Dense and declarative at 48%. This is what the La Medida espadín wishes it was – the three extra ABV points pull the mid-palate into focus, and Hernández Lorenzo's hand is tidy enough that the proof reads as confidence rather than heat
Finish: Warm, clean, with a slow mineral close
The bottom line
Buy. Everyday espadín at destination proof