Reviews / Tehuana Con Chile
Review · · by The Editors
Tehuana Con Chile
Chile-infused mezcal – the gimmick is louder than the agave
Score: 2.5/5 agaves
- Producer: Tehuana Mezcal
- Maestro: Petronilo Rosario Altamirano
- Region: Las Margaritas, Oaxaca
- Agave: Espadin
- ABV: 40%
- Price: $40 ($)
Verdict
Petronilo Rosario Altamirano can make real espadín – the Joven and Con Gusano bottles from this house prove it. Tehuana Con Chile, though, treats mezcal as a flavor vehicle rather than a spirit. Nothing wrong with pepper-infused spirits as a category; a lot wrong with using a 40% mezcal as the base when the infusion will mask most of it. Pass.
Chile and mezcal are a cocktail ingredient. This skips the cocktail step
Tasting notes
Nose: Hot pepper – then cooked agave, light smoke, a sweet top
Palate: 40% can barely carry an unflavored espadín and a chile-infused one less so – the pepper's heat and sweet notes dominate any agave signature that survives
Finish: Medium, spicy, sweet
The bottom line
A skip. Build the cocktail yourself from the unflavored bottle
Where to buy online
We found this bottle at 1 US retailer. Prices and stock vary – click through to check.