Reviews / Vago Espadin - Joel Barriga
Review · · by The Editors
Vago Espadin - Joel Barriga
Joel Barriga's Hacienda Tapanala espadín – the counterpoint to Miahuatlán
Score: 3.5/5 agaves
- Producer: Vago Mezcal
- Maestro: Joel Barriga
- Region: Hacienda Tapanala, Oaxaca
- Agave: Espadin
- ABV: 50%
- Price: $70 ($$)
Verdict
Joel Barriga's espadín is the Vago bottle you pour next to Emigdio Jarquín's to make the point: same category, same proof, different region, entirely different flavor. At 50% this reads brighter and more fruit-forward than the Miahuatlán expression. Track both as a study in why single-maestro bottling is the format mezcal should have adopted years ago.
Two espadíns, two towns, two legible voices. That's why the Vago bench matters
Tasting notes
Nose: Green melon with cooked agave, a hint of smoke
Palate: With the Hacienda Tapanala terroir reading brighter and fruitier than Miahuatlán's mineral pull; clean and mid-weight at 50%
Finish: Clean, iron-tinged – long
The bottom line
Track it. The Barriga-Jarquín espadín study is the reason to drink Vago
Where to buy online
We found this bottle at 3 US retailers. Prices and stock vary – click through to check.
- Total Wine – $51.99
- Binny's – $54.99
- Hi-Time Wine