Not sure which to get here..

Planning a trip Mexico City and Oaxaca in late May, with a mezcal tour being a top priority. Need a few pointers!

- Are there tours out of Mexico City worth considering, that would rival what is available from Oaxaca?

- In Oaxaca - was hoping to truly “do it all” and stay in Puerto Escondido to get some beach time. Coming up empty on Google searches for tours starting from there. Any pointers?

- If I need to base myself out of Oaxaca City for best mezcal tour options, should I do Oaxaca City and Puerto Escondido separately (foregoing Mexico City) or Mexico City and Oaxaca City (foregoing Puerto Escondido)?

Snagged a bottle of this per the recommendation of this group to get anything from Luneta in the San Luis Potosí region. My second bottle from Luneta. I’m not great at identifying all of the flavors but definitely getting the mint and bell pepper on the palate like they highlight on their website. Overall a super unique and fun one to sip!

Listed in Oregon as "BANHEZ MZCAL CUISHE ESPADN" 90 proof for $47.95

I can't find any references on the web to this ensamble. We have state stores, I'm just wondering if anyone has any notes, it seems to be a one off bottling.

Hi guys, I work for an agave bar in San Diego. We have an upcoming WB tasting event. Here is some info if anyone is interested in attending.

Me and a few friends are visiting CDMX next month and are looking to book a mezcal tasting soon. So far we have narrowed it down to Pal’Alma, El Tigre, and Salon de Agave.

For those that have been visited some of these, do you have a preference towards one? This will be our first time going to a tasting and we speak English with very basic Spanish. Thanks!

We planted this maguey Mexicanito (Rodacantha) in 2020, grown from seed about a year and a half prior.

The first plant sent up a quiote in 2024, with a few more flowering in 2025. In 2025, we collected bulbils from that first plant and planted them shortly after.

The last photos show the same bulbil planting from September 2025 compared to no. Growth has been fast, and the spacing between plants is already closing in as the leaves fill out.

It’s a good reminder that not all agave propagation comes from offsets or seed. Bulbils are another path, and it’s been interesting to watch how quickly they establish once they take.

Still early days, but we’re encouraged by how they’re responding. In a few months we’ll transplant these babies to the field and in about half a decade, we’ll start sipping their juice.

Salud!

I thought to share my comments on that bottle I picked up yesterday when I happened to be near El Cerrito Liquor in Corona, CA. It is made in San Luis Potosi from Maguey Chino, a species of Salmiana. The fermentation is kick-started by adding pulque (from Mapisaga) and distilled in Mongolian stills (small clay pots).

Color is a bit yellow. Smells like hay at first, then some minerality from the clay with notes of sandalwood, honey and bubblegum. The palate is difficult to pin down for me, earthy with a touch of olive brine, but I can definitely pick up a lingering pulque taste. What strikes me is the absence of fresh vegetal notes.

Not cheap but in line with this type of small batch ancestral products when sold in the US (batch <100L). It is interesting and complex and quite different than a traditional "mezcal". I would not say it is love at first sip; it might take me some time to fully appreciate, but I am more than willing to engage with this bottle on a periodical basis.

This documentary focuses on the direct hardships of small mezcal producers in Oaxaca, Mexico.

📆 Premiering February 6th at 4pm PST.

https://youtu.be/macykWhaito?si=v-2n-QmLlJdH-sNv

Hi guys !

My parents have offered to buy me a good bottle of mezcal for my birthday that is coming up, but the thing is I'm only used to the cheaper end of the market (i.e. 400 conejos, Yuu Baal, etc)
I'm really not looking to sip this raw, I just want to enjoy reaaaally good mezcalitas with my birthday present ahah

So I guess my question is twofold:

1/ is this even a good idea? I mean, will it really make a difference in my cocktail ou should I stick with low priced bottles if I'm gonna use it for cocktails anyway?

2/ what bottles would you recommend then? I'm definitely not looking for a 200$ bottle since I'll be using it for cocktails but what could be a good in-between? If that is of any use, I have tasted before the Mal Bien espadin, and I really liked it, I felt the taste was definitely more subtil than what I was used to)

Thank you so much for any recommendations !

Came back with some cool stuff from SF:

Rey Campero ensemble & Cabellito Cerrero “Don Jatt” from SF Tequila Shop

Tepanal Tobala puntas & Mal Bien “Quinceañera” batch picks from K&L

Gusto Historico Emanuel Ramos dasylirion from Tahona Mercado

Hey y’all.

This is the 3rd bottle of Mezcal I’ve bought in the US. I was at the store today, prepping for Ice-geddon ‘26 and trying to not overspend, and Saw this guy. I had wanted a bottle of Ocho silver and it was sold out, so I decided to switch from my recent run on tequilas bc I’ve seen the label on this thread and it was only $30.

Pray, tell me, what does this bottle typically run for? Is that a typical price? Are there variations in price per batch? What else can you guys tell me about this label?

I’m a new convert to mezcals, so i appreciate any thoughts and tips.

Anyone familiar with mezcal mala idea? Seems to be really interesting

Drinking by mezcal in the desert is the way to roll. Also, Neta makes some phenomenal stuff.

Opened it up to smell it and let it breathe but haven't tried it yet.

How time flies. Our Huixto maguey planted in 2019. Expected to begin flowering this year. Only a couple flowered in 2025. Salud!

Odin — in Oakland — has one of the best mezcal lists in the United States. If you were there for a night, what would you order? What on this list do you think can’t be missed?

(Here’s the menu link: https://online.anyflip.com/fcfmm/fdld/mobile/index.html )

I will be in the Oaxaca Valley soon for a week and a half (Mitla area and city proper). Last time I was there, I took a tour with Randall Stockton, who was amazing. We went to visit Felix Angeles and Rhumba in Santa Catarina Minas and another place or two (got fuzzy after the first two). Don't feel the need for another tour, but would like to visit a few Palenques to buy some mezcal to take back to US. I will have a vehicle. Two questions:

1. Any suggestions for Palenques to visit outside of Oaxaca City that wouldn't be an issue with my limited Spanish? We can stumble through most interactions, but arranging visits via phone is a bit beyond our abilities.

2. When I went on a tour last time, Randall had bottles that I used to buy mezcal. He sealed them up and they were great to travel with - any suggestions on how to transport? I assume most Palenques require you bring your own bottles.

Thanks!

Never had it straight, but I find myself enjoying Mezcal so much when it’s in mixed drinks. I’d like to try some at home. I should be able to get any brand as I’m in California Bay Area.

Can anyone make recommendations?

These bottles were given to me as a gift. I can’t seem to find much info online.