Reviews / Vago Espadin en Barro
Review · · by The Editors
Vago Espadin en Barro
Clay-pot espadín from Tío Rey – structure you can taste
Score: 4.0/5 agaves
- Producer: Vago Mezcal
- Maestro: Salomon "Tio Rey" Rodriguez
- Region: Sola de Vega, Oaxaca
- Agave: Espadin
- ABV: 51%
- Price: $105 ($$)
Verdict
Clay-pot distillation is the detail that separates serious mezcal producers from merely careful ones, and Salomon 'Tío Rey' Rodriguez's en barro espadín is the clearest demonstration of why in the Vago range. At 51% the extra texture from the clay reads through the whole palate. Between this and the copper-distilled Jarquín espadín, the distillation method argument is in the glass.
En barro is the variable that turns espadín into a question worth answering
Tasting notes
Nose: Cooked agave. Then warm earth, wildflower, a savory undertone
Palate: Oily and dense, with the clay-pot distillation giving the espadín a weight and earthiness the copper version can't touch
Finish: Warming, mineral. Very long
The bottom line
Track it down. Clay-pot espadín from a reference maestro
Where to buy online
We found this bottle at 1 US retailer. Prices and stock vary – click through to check.