Reviews / Siembra Metl Don Mateo Cenizo
Review · · by The Editors
Siembra Metl Don Mateo Cenizo
Jalisco cenizo from a producer arguing mezcal isn't only an Oaxaca story
Score: 3.5/5 agaves
- Producer: Siembra Metl Mezcal
- Maestro: Emilio Vieyra
- Region: Pino Bonito, Michoacán
- Agave: Manso Sahuayo
- ABV: 48%
- Price: $70 ($)
Verdict
Don Mateo is the bottle that makes the case for mezcal beyond Oaxaca without begging, drier, piney-er, more mineral, a Jalisco cenizo that refuses to audition for a state it isn't from. It won't unseat Lalocura on anyone's shelf, but it reorganizes the conversation around it. Track this down if you think you already know what mezcal tastes like. Consensus 3.6 reads as cautious; we'd push it a tick higher.
Jalisco mezcal is the answer to Oaxaca fatigue
Tasting notes
Nose: Pine, dry hay, hot rock, a faint floral edge, cooling mint
Palate: Lighter than Oaxaca mezcal, more northern in register, with Don Mateo Bautista's tight production at 48% giving the bottle structural room without pushing past where Jalisco cenizo wants to sit
Finish: Cooling, mineral, with a slow pine fade, long
The bottom line
A Jalisco gateway. Buy alongside an Oaxaca bottle for context
Where to buy online
We found this bottle at 1 US retailer. Prices and stock vary – click through to check.