Zignum Añejo Cristalino

Verdict

Filtering an aged mezcal through charcoal is a tequila-category borrowing that nobody asked for in mezcal, and Zignum's version confirms why. The oak is sanded off, the agave is long gone, and what remains is a clear sugar-spirit with residual vanilla. Skip it entirely; there is no bottle at any price this is the right answer to.

Tasting notes

Nose: Vanilla with a candy-store topnote, almost no smoke

Palate: Thin and sweet. At 40%, the charcoal filtration stripping what little character remained after the barrel-time. The agave is a rumor

Finish: Confected, glib – short

The bottom line

A skip. Category noise without a payoff