Reviews / Mezonte Jalisco

Review · · by The Editors

Mezonte Jalisco

A raicilla import that behaves like a mezcal reviewer's homework

Score: 3.5/5 agaves

Mezonte Jalisco bottle
  • Producer: Mezonte
  • Region: Chancuellar, Toliman, Jalisco
  • Agave: Alineno, Cimarrón
  • ABV: 47%
  • Price: $70 ($)

Verdict

Mezonte built its reputation by bottling Jalisco producers most distributors ignored, and this raicilla is a case study – rustic, funky, committed to the angustifolia varietals the state actually drinks. It's not as refined as the Michoacán bottlings, and the funk will put off Oaxaca-trained palates. Track it if you're building a serious raicilla shelf; skip if you want polish.

Mezonte's job is to make Jalisco legible, and here they nearly do

Tasting notes

Nose: Baked pineapple up front. Dry grass, faint banana leaf, a vegetal musk underneath

Palate: 47% keeps it honest – lean and rustic, alineño and cimarrón reading as savory-tropical rather than sweet. Fermentation funk on the mid-palate

Finish: Medium, dry, slightly sulfurous

The bottom line

A category primer, not a crowd-pleaser

Where to buy online

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

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