Reviews / Marin y Marin Espadin

Review · · by The Editors

Marin y Marin Espadin

Raul Parada bottles espadín the way it wants to be bottled

Score: 4.0/5 agaves

Marin y Marin Espadin bottle
  • Producer: Marin y Marin Mezcal
  • Maestro: Raul Parada
  • Region: Yautepec, Oaxaca
  • Agave: Espadin
  • ABV: 44%
  • Price: $55 ($)

Verdict

Raul Parada's espadín arrives at a proof that takes espadín seriously, and the difference is felt on the first sip – it has the weight Vida wishes it had and the clarity most 40-percenters forfeit. Marín y Marín is the kind of small-label bottle we recommend to drinkers who've outgrown their first shelf; credible work, fairly priced, no marketing on the palate.

This is what the entry tier looks like when the maestro isn't chasing a price point

Tasting notes

Nose: Roasted pineapple with damp river rock, a lick of campfire ash

Palate: 44% buys you actual structure – dense cooked agave up front, saline mid-palate, a surprising peppery lift before the smoke closes in

Finish: Mineral, lightly smoked

The bottom line

Buy a bottle if you find one. Easy house pour