Ed Draves Samples… Mezcal Espiritu Lauro!

By oaxacadave on May 18, 2015 • ( 1 Comment )

Here’s the latest from Ed Draves, a Buffalo native and our resident taster of all things mezcal that we come across.

Brand… Espiritu Lauro

Category… Ensamble… 70% Espadin, 30% Karwinskii… 40% Alcohol

Origin… Amatengo, Oaxaca

Tasting Notes… This has a fresh minerally nose, mild smoke with subtle floral notes. There is some nice body on entry, viscous with very strong notes of pine that give way to even more mineral on the slightly sweet, long finish. This is a nice mezcal. I’d serve it straight up or with a little pineapple juice. If you are creative, consider adding a little vanilla ice cream and some mandarin oranges. It could make a great dessert!

Maguey Rating… 3 magueys

Availability… Widely available in the US

Cost… $50.00 – $60.00 USD

Explaining our ratings…

Here’s where we start.  We love mezcal, but more importantly, we love artisanal mezcal.  The type that and hand made, following the centuries old traditions passed down from one generation to the next.

We only review small batch mezcal so if you are expecting to read about mezcals that come from some 10,000 liter vat, you won’t find them here.  We don’t believe that they truly represent the heart and soul of the truly magical mezcals that are produced in Oaxaca and other places around the great country of Mexico.

We rate everything on a scale of 1 to 5 magueys.

If we write it up, it’s good and will be guaranteed at least 1 maguey.  3 magueys is top notch and the cherished 5 maguey rating is reserved for the really special stuff.  If you are fortunate to have a mezcal that gets 5 magueys, consider yourself fortunate, because it is a top of the mountain spirit, in the same class as a fine French wine or a treasured single malt Scotch.

Finally, not all of the mezcals we review are available in the US.  This reflects the view of Ulises Torrentera of In Situ Mezcaleria, and many mezcaleros, that to truly appreciate mezcal, sooner or later you need to visit us in Oaxaca.

Enjoy!

Categories: Beverages, Food, Gastronomy, Mezcal, Oaxaca, Spirits, The Buffalo Mezcalero Samples

Tagged as: Dave Millers Mexico, Ed Draves, In Situ, Lauro Mezcal, Mezcal Espiritu Lauro, Mezcal Ratings, Mezcal Reviews, Oaxaca, Spirits