El Rey Zapoteco Abocado Con Gusano

Ah, the worm. Uncommon in contemporary artisanal mezcals. This shows a clear link to more traditional styles, yet isn't excessively meaty and one-dimensional like labels such as Gusano Rojo and especially Lajitas. It's very earthy, with an aroma like a smoky clay oven. Notes of smoke, earth, clay, minerals, and cooked pork, along with mint, grass, and corn. On the palate, it's rich and sweet, featuring prominent flavors of earth, black pepper, caramel, vanilla, agave, smoke, overripe fruit, and stony minerals. The finish is long, smoky, and spicy. Overall, it's clearly bold but still honors its origins. Very rich and smoky, even a bit meaty, but also quite complex. This is by far the finest worm-infused mezcal I've encountered to date. And for 490 pesos... excellent value. This will last a while, but when it's gone, this is the ultimate worm bottle!

Enjoyed neat at a speakeasy, a gift from a friend. The aroma is delightful, smoky, and earthy. The taste is incredibly delicious and smoky, just how I like mezcals, especially with sediment at the bottom of the bottle.