Del Maguey Tobaziche LMDW “Cellar Book” 47%

DEL MAGUEY TOBAZICHE LMDW “CELLAR BOOK” 47%

Where there is smoke, there is fire

A brand new spirit on Hors d’Age: mezcal. As cognac did in the ’90s, mezcal found a great way to expand with mixology. This organic alcohol, consisting of the distillation of cooked agaves, invaded the European market in 2010, particularly with the help of some spirits experts like Alexandre Vingtier. “We used to drink Tequila, now we drink Mezcal !” said Mick Jagger during a concert in Mexico (2016). So let’s follow Mick’s rules and taste this Del Maguey Tobaziche!

Colour: Transparent, a little of pale gold lights. Irregular heavy tears. 

Nose: A very strong perfume explodes. Fermented, salty, briny scents at first. Black olives tapenade, Spanish ham. A massive fragrance on floral smells, particularly lavender and violet flower. A lot of citruses, smoky scents too. Coal smoke. Warm ashes. A great testimony of the way the agave is cooked. 

Palate: A very smoky beginning on the palate. Reminds me a lot of Ardbeg Ten or Uigedail! Astonishing ! It remains very salty. Sweet texture, rich enough to stick to the whole mouth. A little freshness on the aftertaste, especially on peppermint. Earl grey tea, jasmine, rose water. The contrast between the huge smokiness and the floral background shows the true complexity of this mezcal. Some white pepper notes are persisting.

Last Notes: Tabasco and black olives with more air. A delicate fruitiness on prunes and pear liquor. The impressive smokiness links the nose and palate. Smoked salmon ? Well, there is something close to this unexpected taste. Seaweeds, oysters. The salty/herbal mix is delicious. The mouth length is rather long and the ABV (47%) seems to be at the right height. The smokiness is indelebile. It ends on candied lemon and grapefruit juice.

This Del Maguey Tobaziche is a magnificent spirit with a great complexity. Well, you’ll probably see other mezcals in the cognalternative section of Hors d’Age!

My very subjective note: 87+/100

More info on LMDW website