Reviews / Vago Sierra Negra
Review · · by The Editors
Vago Sierra Negra
Aquilino's sierra negra – the agave at full dignity
Score: 4.5/5 agaves
- Producer: Vago Mezcal
- Maestro: Aquilino Garcia Lopez
- Region: Candelaria Yegole, Oaxaca
- Agave: Sierra Negra
- ABV: 51.3%
- Price: $65 ($$)
Verdict
Sierra negra is the agave that most demands respect and most punishes carelessness; Aquilino García Lopez's expression is the category's working reference for the plant. At 51.3% the density lands without heat, and the Candelaria Yegole fingerprint anchors it. Between this and the Aquilino mexicano and ensamble, the maestro's catalog is the reason Vago means what it means.
Aquilino García bottled sierra negra like it was telling the truth
Tasting notes
Nose: Dark chocolate up front. Dried fig, tobacco, warm earth underneath
Palate: Dense, oily, deeply savory at 51.3%, with sierra negra's characteristic gravitas intact and the Candelaria Yegole mineral pull holding the weight
Finish: Warming, chalky. Very long
The bottom line
Hunt it. Sierra negra at reference