Mezonte Quiote

Verdict

Most Michoacán mezcal is made from cooked piñas; Jorge Pérez's quiote bottling uses the flower stalk instead, and the result drinks like a different category – greener, sharper, less agave-sweet. One data point of consensus but the liquid justifies the experiment. Don't expect a sipper in the usual sense; expect a reference point for what the plant tastes like above the ground.

Tasting notes

Nose: Sugarcane, then cooked asparagus, beeswax, dry green wood

Palate: Quiote distillate is a rare beast – 48-50% of stalk-sugar sweetness laid over a green, vegetal spine. Lean where the piña bottling is dense

Finish: Grassy, faintly bitter – medium-long

The bottom line

A conceptual bottle that earns its concept