Reviews / Machetazo Espadin

Review · · by The Editors

Machetazo Espadin

A 45% espadín with more character than its price tier promises

Score: 4.0/5 agaves

Machetazo Espadin bottle
  • Producer: Machetazo Mezcal
  • Maestro: Miguel Sanchez
  • Region: San Baltazar Chichicapam, Oaxaca
  • Agave: Espadin
  • ABV: 45%
  • Price: $40 ($)

Verdict

Machetazo's espadín is the kind of bottle that demonstrates why paying attention to mid-shelf small-producer releases is often worth more than chasing distributed-brand tobalás. At 45% the agave is fully rendered and the house's hand is audible. Think of it next to Los Ocotales' or Machee's espadín: the producer baseline is the tell, and this one is saying the right things.

An espadín that reads above its shelf price

Tasting notes

Nose: Warm stone first, then cooked agave, a bright citrus lift, light smoke

Palate: At 45% the bottle carries a cleaner mid-palate than most mid-shelf espadín – Machetazo's production discipline shows up in the density and the mineral edge. Nothing is being smoothed for distribution

Finish: Clean, faintly iron-tinged

The bottom line

A small-producer espadín that earns its shelf slot

Where to buy online

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

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