Reviews / Mezcalero No. 16

Review · · by The Editors

Mezcalero No. 16

Madrecuishe at 47.2% – the Mezcalero release that argues hardest for the numbered series

Score: 4.5/5 agaves

Mezcalero No. 16 bottle
  • Producer: Mezcalero Mezcal
  • Maestro: Valente Angel García
  • Region: Santa Maria La Pila, Oaxaca
  • Agave: Madrecuishe
  • ABV: 47.2%
  • Price: $70 ($$)

Verdict

No. 16 is the Mezcalero bottle that puts the producer's rigor on full display, madrecuishe at 47.2% with Baltazar Cruz Gomez's signature discipline, every production decision visible in the glass. The karwinskii density is carried cleanly without tipping into heaviness, and the slate-earth register develops in sequence across the palate rather than all at once. Consensus matches. A reference madrecuishe for drinkers who want the Mezcalero series' best.

If you can only own one Mezcalero, make it this one

Tasting notes

Nose: Dark honey, hot slate, black pepper, wet moss

Palate: Dense and chewy, madrecuishe's weight carried cleanly. Among the best in the series

Finish: Drying, mineral. Endless

The bottom line

A high-water mark in the series

Where to buy online

We found this bottle at 1 US retailer. Prices and stock vary – click through to check.

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