Review: Corte Vetusto Mesquite Smoked Mezcal Espadin
Corte Vetusto is a new brand to us, though it lays claim to status as “the world’s most highly awarded mezcal brand.” Newly available in the U.S., Corte Vetusto is a small batch, single-sourced mezcal that is uniquely distilled to proof, with each expression offering a different, natural, and uncut abv. While the espadin expression (100% sourced from the Oaxaca highlands) reviewed here undergoes a standard distillation in wood-fired copper pot stills, Corte Vetusto’s reserve expressions undergo an unusual secondary distillation in clay pot stills.
We didn’t receive any of those rarities, so while we wait for them, let’s tuck into Corte Vetusto Espadín, its most readily available bottling.
Corte Vetusto Mesquite Smoked Mezcal Espadin Review
Note: Corte Vetusto makes no mention of mesquite smoking on its website any more, and labels have been changed to remove mention of it since we received our bottle. So — not much more we can explain about that part of the process.
You won’t miss the mesquite here, the nose quite smoky-sweet and vegetal in the way that burning that scrub brush always evokes. Smoldering and increasingly green as it develops in glass, the mezcal keeps one foot firmly placed in a sweeter world of spun sugar and cotton candy.
The palate diverges negligibly, though the sweetness here takes on a fruity character that soon turns candylike. Caramel apple, bubblegum, and vanilla cake frosting all inform a buttery, unctuous body that clings to every corner of the mouth, forever. The smokiness of the mesquite is far less evident on the tongue, though the finish sees it return minimally to mingle with the sweet body, creating a slight honey character, albeit somewhat haphazardly. Hints of saline are also visible on what is otherwise an extremely sweet experience.
91.2 proof. NOM-O363X. Reviewed: Batch #ESP-1024.
B / $69
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