AGAVE DE CORTES ESPADIN

5 stars simply for quality and price. Agave de Cortes is the initial line-up from Casa Cortes… meant to coax the tequila drinkers over to mezcal (hence the Blanco, reposado, and anejo). From there, Casa Cortes goes to a terroir-driven espadin line-up called Nuestra Soledad specializing in how different areas contribute different smells, mouthfeels, and tastes to espadin mezcal, and then of course their amazing agave-specific El Jolgorio line-up. We had the privilege of touring the Cortes Family operation in Santiago Matalán OAX, and all of their mezcals are serene. This “blanco” bottle of Agave de Cortes is by far the best mezcal I have had under $40, and I have had a lot. Do yourself a favor and pick up a case.

As a rule, I'm not a fan of Mezcal. I love tequila. But I decided to try this and it's really good. Relatively smooth and a really interesting taste. Some vanilla. Fresh and tasty on the palate.