El Jolgorio Black Bottle Arroqueno Pedro Vasquez 2019

The Schtick: Distilled by Pedro Vasquez in 2019, this release of Arroqueno is bottled by El Jolgorio for their prestigious Black Bottle series release. I’m a longtime lover of Arroqueno, and I recently saw this at a price I couldn’t pass up. Let’s dive in.

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Review #1944 | Mezcal Review #193

Distiller: Pedro Vasquez

Bottler: El Jolgorio

Brand: El Jolgorio

Selection:

ABV: 54% ABV

Age: NA

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Nose: Extremely powerful nose. Bright, acidic, almost a hint of lactose, but it’s complex. Sweet peach, creamy sweetness, light earthiness and some lactic funk that almost comes as a hit of vinegar. Bright acidity, light pepper.

Taste: Rich on the palate, heat is just right for the relatively high ABV. Celery salt, cream cheese frosting, pepper, a bit of slate and some honey and apricot.

Finish: Long, mineral forward finish. Less of that frosting I get from arroqueno on the finish, it’s bright, acidic and loaded with stone and mineralogy.

Overall: Overall, this is something special. The cream cheese frosting and decadent lactic qualities play well with bright, vibrant acidity and stone. This one takes some work to peel apart, but it’s a delight from start to finish.

Thanks for reading!

Rank: 8

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