What are you drinking right now?

[sinnedk]

View attachment 1691070
battle of the tobalas… who will win?

how pricy are those bottles?

 

[venividivicibj]

View attachment 1691070
battle of the tobalas… who will win?

Probably depends heavily on if you like copper (left) or clay (right).

 

[tdes81]

how pricy are those bottles?

The Neta was $199 (if you can even find a bottle of this batch anymore), and the Lalo was $150. Not too cheap but man, scotch/whiskeys at this price point don't even come close.

 

[tdes81]

Probably depends heavily on if you like copper (left) or clay (right).

Posted some tasting notes on reddit as I went back and forth between the two:

Neta:
Nose: (first sniffs) I don't have much of a sense of a smell, but I'm getting hints of fresh cut grass, light fresh flavors. Lime and a slight hint of smoke. A good bit of sweetness.
(second sniffs after coming back from the Lalo): This is so much brighter and crisp. It's really difficult not to just take a sip and dive in, but I want to compare the two by nose first. Getting a lot of sweet fresh barbeque, if that even makes sense. A little bit of salt and pepper.

Palate: (first sips) Sweet, very easy to drink. You take a sip and the flavors evaporate into your mouth and sinuses. That smoke is there, but there's this great sweetness, almost like a candy flavor to it.
(second sips) Trying my best to get the taste of the Lalo out of my mouth to more fairly judge it, but drinking and swishing a lot of water isn't enough. Diving in anyways. Green heat. Sweetness. If jalapeno cotton candy was a thing, I think that would really describe this? Just a little hint of bitterness.

Finish: (first sips) It just coats your mouth and leaves a a very tannin-y mouth coating (if you like red wines). Crisp peppers, even when I drink some water to cleanse my palate it's still there.
(second sips) The bitterness is coating my mouth a bit more now. I'm still getting the spicy pepper and sweetness though. Hints of that BBQ flavor.


Lalocura:
Nose: (first sniffs) Wow. This is a soooo different than the Neta. Darker, deeper. Maybe I'm getting some vinegar? Smells a bit like paint, but not in a bad way. It's fruity and deep.
(second sniffs after the Neta) This is funny, it's like the Neta is a white wine, and this is a red wine. A little bit of cheese, some funk, some smoke, some grapes. Some sweetnes, but it's quite a bit hidden behind those other darker flavors.

Palate: (first sips) Waaaay more funkier, but not so much in a bad way. Definitely getting cheese flavors, a lot less sweet.

(second sips) Weeew, this started off dark and funky, but then moved into sweetness and roasted ancho peppers. The funky cheese smell when you take a sip disappears on actually tasting it, and it just becomes a sweet almost mole kind of flavor bomb.

Finish: (first sips) A lot less sweet in terms of how it's lasting in my mouth. Still very very long lasting though. It's funny -- both of them, you can take a little sip and just enjoy how that plays out in your mouth for a long time. No BBQ on this one, just a deep dank peppery (like poblano not black pepper) lasting mouth coating.

(second sips) Both of these just last forever in your mouth. The flavors of sipping are maybe even less interesting than just watching and tasting what goes on in your mouth after a sip. While the Neta is bright and crisp, the mouthfeel of this one is almost like the aftermath of a few puffs of a good cigar.


So like, the difference between the two as pretty stunning. Even though they were the same agave, the flavors were so different. I guess (like you said) it's the difference between copper and clay stills. The copper still (Neta) is so bright and crips while the clay (Lalocura) is so much darker and deeper. Right now I'm preferring the Neta but I bet on a different night, mood, and season I'd be preferring the Lalocura. Mezcal is so damn interesting.

 

[tdes81]

Really funny. My last sip was a couple minutes ago, and I've had a fair bit of water, and i've still got the taste/flavors running rampant in my mouth. GG lalo/neta.

 

[venividivicibj]

Mezcal is so damn interesting.

It's crazy when you try something like a tepextate which can be very green/bell peppery/herbal and then have an arroqueno or cuish thats super fruity and bright

 

[sinnedk]

The Neta was $199 (if you can even find a bottle of this batch anymore), and the Lalo was $150. Not too cheap but man, scotch/whiskeys at this price point don't even come close.

ahh right i see they are both tobala those prices make sense, i'm experimenting with vida Del Maguey Vida de Muertos, slowly climbing up until i find something i like which becomes my go to. Its funny i eventually hit a medium for taste + price and have go to bottles.

Ie
rye = wilderness trail
cognac = Hennesy Privilège
whiskey = Hibiki Harmony (used to be the Hibiki 12 / Hakushu / Yamazaki) or Iwai
Tequila = casa noble

gin and mezcal still not decided on

 

[venividivicibj]

Oh good, I can put another entry into my "bottles that are literally impossible to find but sound awesome" log.

Speaking of this, Russell's Reserve 13 apparently came out, but I've still yet to a bottle on shelves (whether at MSRP or marked up)

 

[tdes81]

It's crazy when you try something like a tepextate which can be very green/bell peppery/herbal and then have an arroqueno or cuish thats super fruity and bright

Seriously. People say rum has the most variety, but it doesn't even come close to mezcal. And then you get into sotol... holy ****.

 

[tdes81]

Sloppy but…. Who will win?

 

[tdes81]

ahh right i see they are both tobala those prices make sense, i'm experimenting with vida Del Maguey Vida de Muertos, slowly climbing up until i find something i like which becomes my go to. Its funny i eventually hit a medium for taste + price and have go to bottles.

Ie
rye = wilderness trail
cognac = Hennesy Privilège
whiskey = Hibiki Harmony (used to be the Hibiki 12 / Hakushu / Yamazaki) or Iwai
Tequila = casa noble

gin and mezcal still not decided on

Del Maguey Vida and Bozal Ensamble are great for mixing. The Vida is way more smokey, whlie the bozel ensamble is just delicious.

For Tequila, try some Fortaleza, G4 or Ocho.

Gin? Well the world is your oyster. So many delicious things happening there, especially on the floral end of things.

 

[venividivicibj]

For Tequila, try some Fortaleza, G4 or Ocho.

Have you tried the Fortaleza Still Strength or Terralta 110 (made by the same person as G4/Pasote, just uses different water source) for cocktails?

 

[sinnedk]

Del Maguey Vida and Bozal Ensamble are great for mixing. The Vida is way more smokey, whlie the bozel ensamble is just delicious.

For Tequila, try some Fortaleza, G4 or Ocho.

Gin? Well the world is your oyster. So many delicious things happening there, especially on the floral end of things.

Glad I ran into a mezcal fan.

is there a particular Vida you are suggesting?

 

[tdes81]

Kahiko punch, here we come!

 

[tdes81]

Glad I ran into a mezcal fan.

is there a particular Vida you are suggesting?

I was just talking about the del maguey vida, it’s cheap, easily found and tasty. Pretty darn smoky though, so you gotta use it right - can’t just swap out tequila for it in a cocktail.