| 2025 in review
This last year was wild. We traveled all around the country trying to allocate as many obscure and delicious spirits as we could. From Oaxaca, passing through Aguascalientes and reaching Sonora, we bottled more territories than any other project that we can think of. In our last taste & chat, a few members ranked the spirits based on how much they enjoyed them. As we discussed with them during the call, this is not a perfect ranking, because some spirits they found very exciting but wouldn’t be great daily sippers (like the pulquero). Still, we love celebrating the spirits that gave our members the most overall happiness. Big congrats to our top 3: Sergio Salas with the gold medal, Cesar Mateo with the silver, and Rosa & Ildefonso with the bronze.
Respecting the ranking’s order here are some of our thoughts of each expression. An informal summary of our year’s selection:
1.- Sergio Salas – Guava Pechuga – Puebla
It is so good that we can’t even keep any of it in our own homes. As soon as a friend or a loved one takes a sip, they are hooked. We thought this was a very dynamic and fresh approach to pechugas. Less of the heavy protein and dense fruits, and more of the ample aromatics from the guava leaves and the spiced mole.
2.- Cesar Mateo – Mapisaga – Aguascalientes
When we saw this mezcalito finish No. 2, we did a small celebratory jump. Selecting this was a bit of a risk: a very rare agave, and unknown mezcal state, and a producer that had never exported before. Yet, we thought that the flavors coming from this agave that is mostly used for pulque deserved a place in our club, and you, the nerdiest of nerds, agreed with us.
3.- Rosa & Ildefonso Macedas – Pichomel – Puebla
Two of the highest-ranked expressions come from Puebla, and we don’t think that is a coincidence. The land, the agaves, and the craftsmanship of this state are top-notch. Pichomel has always been one of our favorite agaves. It is expressive yet balanced, and the ABV is perfectly integrated, resulting in a profile that makes a perfect daily sipper. It is worth noting that this mezcal is produced in one of Mexico’s most important bioreserves. Its Marmorata-like genetics are nowhere else to be found, a truly endemic agave.
4.- Miguel Ortiz – Cupreata – Michoacán
It took us years of negotiation to get this cupreata, but it was clearly worth it. Unlike other, more extravagant Michoacán agaves that can be a lactic bomb, this Cupreata was the definition of balance. We think this is a great example of how a true maestro like Miguel can adapt to each agave, creating very different flavor profiles while maintaining the same “intention” or “style”.
5.- Atzin – Salmiana – Guanajuato
Lately, we’ve been great enthusiasts of Salmianas. We’ve said before, and we’ll repeat it many other times, we believe Salmiana is the next Karwinskii, even though it will still take a few years to create such a committed fanbase. This Salmiana was a bit polarizing in the club; instead of the classic intense flavors you’d expect from this agave, it was described as subtle and even flowery. Still, it clearly won enough hearts to rank at No. 5. .
6.- Semei García – Tepextate – Oaxaca
This expression was chosen after a full Melate weekend in which members went through dozens of different expressions, finally landing on this Tepextate. Semeí was born mezcal royalty, and Tepextate is definitely the diamond of agaves. So it was interesting to see it at number six. We want to think that our offerings are at such a high level that Tepextate’s dominance is starting to tremble, but that may just be our silly wishful thinking.
7.- Java (Chava and Jim) – Ensamble – Oaxaca, Sonora, and Guerrero
Our most extravagant experiment of the year, making a cold blend of various finished mezcales, had us biting our nails for a few months, but in the end, it was accepted with joy. Our intention with this blend was to create a flavor profile that had never existed while still offering the best of a “single origin” mezcal. We may return to this approach one day, but for now, we are just happy to know that there is some beauty to be found in a technique normally despised in the mezcal industry.
8.- Miguel Ortiz – Inaequidens – Michoacán
This was a vintage Inaequidens that we had saved since 2023 at our warehouse, and seeing it at number 8 is a testament to how hard it was to rank all the spirits we bottled in 2025. We recently poured this in San Antonio during industry tastings, and people went crazy for it. They couldn’t believe that an agave could create those intense lactic flavors and aromas. It will always be one of our favorites, but we wouldn’t call it a daily sipper.
9.- Ramón Miranda – Lechuguilla/Bacanora – Sonora
When we found this expression, we couldn’t be happier. We had tasted a lot of Lechuguilla and Bacanora, but never in our wildest dreams (even though it feels like an obvious approach now) had we ever imagined an ensamble mixing these two powerful agaves. We keep going back to it once in a while, and every time we are impressed by how complex it is. So hard to pinpoint exactly how to define it. Confusing as hell, but delicious as it can be.
10.- Rubén López – Tobalá – Oaxaca
Last year, Ever Diego’s Sierra Negra was a big hit, so we decided to bring another spirit from the very unrepresented Santa Catarina Albarradas. These mezcales sport a high acidity and a profile that almost feels like walking into a cave full of moldy cacao. Not something we can see sharing with newbies, but an absolutely wonderful way of accessing an atypical Tobalá.
11 .- Don Alejo Dávila and Luis Vences – Pulquero – Morelos
This was one of the most challenging spirits of the year. We believe pulque-based spirits are still in a maturing stage, as there are many aspects of their distillation dynamics to understand to achieve greater complexity. Yet, we loved that most of the members were happy to try something that is an absolute rarity and an opportunity to understand further the many ways in which agave can be interpreted.
12.- Rumaldo Flores – Bacanora – Sonora
We love representing different states and agave appellations in the club. We had been looking for a tasty Bacanora for years and, in our opinion, Rumaldo’s one is one of the best out there. We’ll be sure to come back with a few more Bacanora offerings in the future. Maybe we can find one that makes it to the very top tier.
And that was 2025. Thanks so much to everyone who has supported this project all along. Throughout 2026, we promise to bring more exciting and unlikely spirits to the club.
Salud y toda la suerte! |
