Maltoro Espadin

Verdict

The Maltoro espadín at 40% is indistinguishable from a dozen other commercial Matatlán espadines – that's the design intent, not a failure of execution. For the money, Banhez Ensamble at a similar price does more work; for the agave, Mal Bien Cortés espadín at 48.5% does much more.

Tasting notes

Nose: Soft cooked agave, then vanilla hint, faint smoke

Palate: 40% of copper espadín – light, sweet, the kind of mezcal engineered to slide into a mixed drink without protest

Finish: Clean, gone – short

The bottom line

Not this one. Mestiza Negra, $20 at Trader Joe's, is the rebuttal to commercial espadín