Reviews / Papá Rey Espadin

Review · · by The Editors

Papá Rey Espadin

Papa Rey espadín at 40% – straightforward mid-tier Oaxacan production running at conventional commercial proof for shelf distribution

Score: 2.5/5 agaves

Papá Rey Espadin bottle
  • Producer: Don Raymundo Duarte y Compania
  • Maestro: Aquileo Lorenzo
  • Region: Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca
  • Agave: Espadin
  • ABV: 40%
  • Price: $45 ($)

Verdict

Papa Rey isn't doing anything wrong; the category's economics just don't leave room for a memorable bottle at this proof. Distribution-tier production lands distribution-tier results; the bottle is legitimate but anonymous next to producer-driven work. A commercial bottle. Consensus 3.3 reads generous; we score it 2.5.

Commercial mid-tier espadín with all the expected limits

Tasting notes

Nose: A faint smoke, banana candy, a trace of cooked sugar

Palate: At 40% the bottle reads thin. Commercial Oaxacan espadín at commercial proof behaves exactly the way you'd expect, the agave is present but diluted, the smoke is present but faint, and the mid-palate disappears before you can locate it

Finish: Short, with a faint smoke fade

The bottom line

A skip. Bozal Espadín at similar money does more