Rezpiral Tepeztate "Series 4 - K&L Exclusive" (Berta Vasquez) San Baltazar Chichicapam Uncertified Oaxacan Mezcal (750ml)

:::Cue Homer Simpson drooling:::
Nosing this for the first time, I may have unintentionally let a noise resembling the famous Simpson's character's moment of bliss when there's something delicious at hand. Tepeztate’s are indeed a treat to taste given the decades the plant spends in the ground, and the patience of the magueyero to harvest them. Rain water, river stones, unmistakable cooked agave, quince and pineapple, smoked honeysuckle blossoms and crushed ice plants emanate from the glass. The palate is unbelievably smooth at 93.2 proof, and resonates the crushed iced plant note I got on the nose. Sweeter candied notes also complement the soft vegetal quality while still retaining its clean, freshness. The finish is a bit tingly with light spearmint and raw artichoke leaves. You should definitely pick up this time capsule of agave spirit.

This is a lovely and delicious Mezcal. It is also interesting and complex. The nose has wonderful smoke notes with savory and citrus undertones. In the mouth it is full bodied and round, with the smoke ,savory and citrus flavors making this a complex and inviting Mezcal. Every Mezcal that I have tasted from Rezpiral has been a very high quality product.

Berta Vasquez is one of the few female mezcaleras out there, and she makes some fantastic agave spirits. For this bottling, she's using Tepeztate, a hard to find wild agave species that favors very steep and very rocky desert cliffs, and she utilizes volcanic rocks in the oven to cook the agave hearts. This is maybe the smokiest mezcal we have in the store right now. There's intense smoky aromas right after opening the bottle and further nosing gives the impression of dying embers from a fire. Mineral and saline characteristics come out next, then multiple green vegetal scents. On the palate, the smoke is very bold again with wood ash and robust green jalapeno spice. Wet stone emerges, but then there's a lovely tropical fruitiness on the back end that ties everything together in the fading fire finish.

Rezpiral is one of the most ambitious mezcal projects to come to the United States. Seeking out mezcaleros with multi-generational knowledge and respecting each of their unique processes, Rezpiral works with choice producers across Mexico to select the finest small batch agave spirits possible and bottle them without intervention or manipulation. Berta Vazquez's extensive experience allows her to produce spirits of unrivaled intensity and flavor. This K&L exclusive batch of Tepeztate yielded only 144 bottles and is exceedingly complex. At first blush it is robustly smoky. After nosing the glass a journey unfolds. It moves from smoky to herbal - seamlessly passing from savory oregano and marjoram to sweeter dill and mint. It folds into a spicy combination of black pepper and mild pepperoncinis. On the palate the saga continues. A diverse forest of fruit trees envelops you, leaf, blossom, and fruit all compete for your attention. It doubles back on itself and the finish rehashes the symphony of sweet herbs and spice before fading into a clean and persistent smoke. In terms of diverse flavor and complexity, no spirit on the shelf rivals Berta Vazquez and her distillates.