Reviews / Los Ocotales Espadin - Cirial
Review · · by The Editors
Los Ocotales Espadin - Cirial
An ensamble edited by the producer of record
Score: 4.0/5 agaves
- Producer: Los Ocotales Mezcal
- Maestro: Adolfo Santiago
- Region: San Dionisio Ocotepec, Oaxaca
- Agave: Cirial, Espadin
- ABV: 48%
- Price: $75 ($$)
Verdict
Ensambles are either edits or aggregations, and Los Ocotales' espadín-cirial is unmistakably an edit, the cirial is seasoning the espadín rather than sharing a room with it. At 48% the proof gives both agaves their full range without blurring them. Compare it to the best 5 Sentidos ensamble work: same discipline about what each agave is doing in the glass.
An ensamble whose components can be told apart
Tasting notes
Nose: Cooked agave, green pepper, warm hay, a cool mineral note
Palate: The cirial adds vegetal lift to the espadín's cooked-agave base, and at 48% the blend stays structurally coherent. The components read as chosen rather than thrown together
Finish: Drying, clean, long
The bottom line
Smart ensamble. If it's on the shelf, take it