Reviews / Tesoro de Moctezuma Ensamble

Review · · by The Editors

Tesoro de Moctezuma Ensamble

Coixtlahuaca family mezcal – underserved region, ordinary bottle

Score: 3.0/5 agaves

Tesoro de Moctezuma Ensamble bottle
  • Producer: Tesoro de Moctezuma Mezcal
  • Region: Coixtlahuaca, Oaxaca
  • Agave: Espadin, Tepextate
  • ABV: 43%
  • Price: $55 ($$)

Verdict

The Moctezuma family works in Coixtlahuaca, which is one of Oaxaca's more genuinely under-explored mezcal regions, the kind of palenque where a bold bottle could put a town on the map. This one doesn't. At 43% the ensamble is pleasant but the tepextate in the blend can't speak up. Pass and reach for a Mezcalosfera or NETA Coixtlahuaca bottle when they surface.

Coixtlahuaca deserves more ambitious ambassadors

Tasting notes

Nose: Cooked agave over wet earth, light smoke

Palate: 43% carries a balanced espadín-tepextate blend, but the proof limits what the tepextate can contribute, the pepper-and-herb signature is present but muted

Finish: Medium, clean, lightly vegetal

The bottom line

Pass. The region deserves a louder bottle than this