Mezcal recommendations?

[Multum in parvo]

Went to a Mexican place yesterday that had a wide variety of Mezcal.

Tried some Gusano Rojo, a cheapie I gathered, that was earthy, smokey but also smooth - definitely ticked the box.

Next one was Espiritu Lauro Joven, strong notes of kerosene/diesel on the nose and palate

So I’m looking for more of the first and want to avoid stuff like the second.

Should I look more for Reposado/Anjeo instead of Joven?

Is it a specific Agave species that gives that Kerosene notes or does it come from that specific distillery?

 

[jesseix]

Mezcal is one of those things that I never think to buy, but I always enjoy the cocktails made with it when I order one.
I haven’t really done any research on the different styles, but the bottles I’ve bought have all been jovens as well. Grabbed this one recently and have really liked the couple of drinks I’ve made with it. I’ve had good luck with drinks involving aperol/similar bitter and grapefruit, but I do look forward to trying more things out.

 

[Multum in parvo]

Mezcal is one of those things that I never think to buy, but I always enjoy the cocktails made with it when I order one.
I haven’t really done any research on the different styles, but the bottles I’ve bought have all been jovens as well. Grabbed this one recently and have really liked the couple of drinks I’ve made with it. I’ve had good luck with drinks involving aperol/similar bitter and grapefruit, but I do look forward to trying more things out.

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I ended up ordering the Gusano Rojo (despite the worm) and some Se Busca Anjeo.

 

[Lightcs1776]

I ended up ordering the Gusano Rojo (despite the worm) and some Se Busca Anjeo.

I haven't had Tequila or Mezcal in years, due to a bit of over indulgence when I was younger. Ok, a lot of over indulgence. However, the worm was always a prized possession. I guess things have changed.

 

[Darth Scandalous]

I don't drink any more but I was pretty fond of mezcals. Gusano Rojo, despite being cheap, is actually decent. You can do better, of course, but you're going to spend a lot more.

I went and looked and it appears that most of the niche brands I used to buy don't exist any more so I can't give you any advice there. My opinion, for whatever it's worth, is that reposado is the sweet spot for mezcals--just enough age to round out the rough edges. I found anejos to be disappointing because the extra age muted the uniquely mezcal profile too much. Some of that is the base agave varieties used but I think most of it comes down to how it's distilled. In contrast, tequilas often tend to have less depth, flavor-wise, when they're younger and can benefit from a longer age.

There are very good jovens to be had but you have to look a little harder (and, again, unfortunately my go-tos from years past don't seem to exist any more). My absolute favorite mezcals were all jovens, but I've had quite a few that were not so great as well. Reposados were always a safer bet when trying a new brand.

One of my favorite mid-tier brands actually may still be available-- Scorpion -- very gimmicky, has a scorpion instead of a maguey worm but actually quite decent. I believe I've had both the joven and reposado version of it. But again, this was about 10 years ago and products do change over time.

If you end up with a harsh joven, you can do a lime juice wash in the glass-- pour a little fresh lime juice in, slosh it around enough to coat the glass and then dump it out. That seems to tone down the jet fuel notes a little.

 

[Multum in parvo]

I haven't had Tequila or Mezcal in years, due to a bit of over indulgence when I was younger. Ok, a lot of over indulgence. However, the worm was always a prized possession. I guess things have changed.

Yeah I guess it is a little bit frowned upon nowadays but don’t worry if it is in the bottle it will get drunken

 

[Multum in parvo]

I don't drink any more but I was pretty fond of mezcals. Gusano Rojo, despite being cheap, is actually decent. You can do better, of course, but you're going to spend a lot more.

I went and looked and it appears that most of the niche brands I used to buy don't exist any more so I can't give you any advice there. My opinion, for whatever it's worth, is that reposado is the sweet spot for mezcals--just enough age to round out the rough edges. I found anejos to be disappointing because the extra age muted the uniquely mezcal profile too much. Some of that is the base agave varieties used but I think most of it comes down to how it's distilled. In contrast, tequilas often tend to have less depth, flavor-wise, when they're younger and can benefit from a longer age.

There are very good jovens to be had but you have to look a little harder (and, again, unfortunately my go-tos from years past don't seem to exist any more). My absolute favorite mezcals were all jovens, but I've had quite a few that were not so great as well. Reposados were always a safer bet when trying a new brand.

One of my favorite mid-tier brands actually may still be available-- Scorpion -- very gimmicky, has a scorpion instead of a maguey worm but actually quite decent. I believe I've had both the joven and reposado version of it. But again, this was about 10 years ago and products do change over time.

If you end up with a harsh joven, you can do a lime juice wash in the glass-- pour a little fresh lime juice in, slosh it around enough to coat the glass and then dump it out. That seems to tone down the jet fuel notes a little.

Thank you for the pointers.

Like @Lightcs1776 I had very bad memories about - obviously cheap - Tequila from my misspent youth. Last year I started the summer with Texas Ranch Water and by the end of it I came to like it neat as well.

 

[Multum in parvo]

Quick delivery

 

[panzerkiller13]

I wouldn't say this is very SMOOTH, but my coworker that came from MX and had tried lots of mezcals and said that 400 Conejos was his favorite. When we were down there together on a work trip, I introduced him to soju, and we tried the 400 Conejos. I ended up bringing home a bottle of the Espadin- Cuishe variant because it had a very strong smokiness! Not sure if you can get it anywhere in the US.

 

[tejolot3]

Try a mezcal that isn't overly smoky. Technically, that would include tequila. But I highly recommend the San Luis Potosí by Derrumbes. It will show you what a non-Espadín, non-pit oven mezcal can be. Vegetal, spicy, even a hint of green chiles, plus some smokiness that still somehow manages to come through.