Reviews / Palenqueros Sierra Negra
Review · · by The Editors
Palenqueros Sierra Negra
Baltazar Cruz's sierra negra – dense, dark, deliberate
Score: 3.5/5 agaves
- Producer: Palenqueros
- Maestro: Baltazar Cruz Gomez
- Region: San Luis del Rio, Oaxaca
- Agave: Sierra Negra
- ABV: 51%
- Price: $70 ($$)
Verdict
Baltazar Cruz is one of the maestros Palenqueros consistently bottles, and his work tends toward the darker, denser end of what Oaxaca does. This sierra negra is a useful introduction to the house's Cruz project – not the most immediately flattering bottle in the label, but one of the most committed. Reach for it if you've run through the house's karwinskii and want something that goes darker.
Sierra Negra is the minor-key agave and Cruz knows how to play in minor
Tasting notes
Nose: Cooked agave, cocoa, wet earth, a savory mineral top
Palate: 51% of sierra negra with Cruz's characteristic hand – heavier than most, with sweetness sitting behind earth rather than riding on top
Finish: Earthy, quietly warming. Long
The bottom line
Reach for it when you want sierra negra at its most serious
Where to buy online
We found this bottle at 1 US retailer. Prices and stock vary – click through to check.