Yuu Baal Joven Espadin Mezcal

Malt Review calls Yuu Baal Espadín a very good mezcal for the price — measured against Del Maguey Vida, the benchmark most drinkers start with. Yuu Baal is a social enterprise, a group of producers in San Juan del Río, San Luis del Río, Tlacolula, and Miahuatlán, Oaxaca, whose stated mission is to highlight native Oaxacan mezcal traditions with every step — planting, cutting, distilling — done by hand; one of its mezcaleros also distills for Marca Negra and Sombra. Espadín is farm-grown agave roasted in a conical stone-lined pit, crushed by tahona, fermented with wild yeast in pine vats, and double-distilled in copper, bottled at 48% ABV; every bottle is numbered by lot. Mezcal Reviews finds a nice, soft flavor followed by a refreshing, vigorous intensity. Distiller's tasters call it smooth, warm, and easy, less smoky than Vago, a good second bottle for a novice. Expect cooked agave, citrus, and green pepper with a gentle smoke, medium-bodied, clean, and a peppery, moderately long finish. Honest note: Yuu Baal is the value brand of Oaxaca — honest, hand-made, and priced to pour — and enthusiasts call it hit or miss across the range, with the wild agaves and the reposado the hits. For a mezcal Margarita, a Naked and Famous, or neat, it's the everyday espadín.

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