Mezcal Starter Kit: Brands, Price Comparisons and More

I get a lot of emails asking me where to start when it comes to buying a bottle of mezcal.  Some are from people looking to dip their toes into the mezcal waters, and others are from people who already know they love mezcal but are looking for that price/value tradeoff.  Also, many want to know where they can buy mezcal since it is not available at their local liquor store.

With that in mind I thought it would be useful to put together a list of brands, prices, and online liquor stores for your convenience.  My book, Holy Smoke! It’s Mezcal! has a complete list of every brand available in the U.S.  Now this list by no means contains every brand you can find (I have another post on that too), and I stopped it at $75 because we are clearly getting past the entry level at that price.  I focused on the brands that are the most commonly seen PREMIUM mezcals, so admittedly it is a bit subjective (but that’s what I do).  For the price comparison, I chose six online sellers that I think have a combination of wide selection and good pricing, and they also happen to be where I buy a lot of mezcal.

I generally took the entry point for each brand, which is usually the joven.  In a few cases, brands have a cocktail oriented version which is even more attractively priced and I included those as well.  But if a brand has a reposado or other expressions for under $75, I did not include those.  Maybe next time.  Again, the focus is the brand’s entry point.

Here are my Mezcal Starter Kit Recommendations:

I enjoyed putting this together because I learned a few things as well.  A few observations:

• There really are not a very large number of widely dispersed good mezcals.  There are only twenty names on this list – so only twenty premium mezcals can be found at at least two places online.  By comparison, if you did this with tequila, I am sure you would get well into the 100s of brands.  That said, there are probably another 10-20 brands that are quite good but I could only find them at one place online.
• You generally get what you pay for with mezcal.  The brands at the top of the list with the lowest prices are geared toward cocktail consumption.  Most of them I would sip in a pinch no problem, but if I really want a sipping mezcal I am moving into the $40+ price range.
• I am not deeply familiar with every brand here.  I have most of these bottles, and have tried them all, but a few I have tasted only sparingly.
• There are some brands in the $30-$50 range which you will not find here even though they are readily available – names like Wild Shot and Zignum come readily to mind.  They are not here because I don’t recommend them.
• You also will not find cheaper brands like Monte Alban and Oro de Oaxaca here because I would not drink those either.  If you are not willing to spend at least $30, you are not going to get a very good mezcal.  If you have a different opinion, let me know!

A few brand specific comments:

• Of the first five names on the list, I would give Wahaka Espadin the best marks for versatility because it works great in cocktails, but I also find it to be the best sipper of the five.
• For another $10 or so Don Amado has a “Rustico”, which is an espadin joven and far better than their plata.  I would spend the extra $10.
• Alipus has four different versions – I think San Andreas is the best, and they are generally all priced the same.  Last fall they came out with their Santa Ana Del Rio, and I was not very fond of it on one tasting.
• Scorpion is a fine spirit but it lacks the smokiness that I love in mezcal as it is produced in above ground ovens.  Still artisanally made, but a different taste profile if you like a smoky mezcal.
• Ilegal is an excellent introductory mezcal as the smoke, while strongly present to the uninitiated mezcal drinker, is less pronounced than most other brands so it is more approachable.
• Vago made a splash as a new brand in 2013 by bringing in excellent quality mezcals.  They also have an “Elote” which has a roasted corn infusion for a few dollars more than the espadin.  I cannot quite get the sweetness of the corn on my palate but it is a great mezcal.
• Delirio is relatively unknown to me as I have only tried it once and it made an uninspiring impression.  Admittedly, it needs more investigation.  They are a west coast brand and I have never seen them in NYC.
• Los Amantes is triple distilled so a very soft mezcal.  This can be appealing to mezcal newbies.
• Pierde Almas Espadin, while expensive, is worth every penny.
• El Silencio, another 2013 newcomer, is pricey but also very good – it is an ensemble of three agaves (it does not say which on the bottle but I seem to recall espadin, tobasiche, and mexicano).

Of these online sellers, I use them all regularly depending on what I am buying.  Andrews is great if you are buying many bottles because shipping is free with orders over $250.

So that’s it for now.  I have been a bit quiet on the blog in recent months as I have been pouring my energy into a book.  This is perhaps the first official mention of it (though I promise you will be bombarded in the future!).  The book is “Holy Smoke!  It’s Mezcal!  The Complete Guide from Agave to Zapotec”.  I wrote it because I believe mezcal needs this book.  It will be out in the next few months, and I am pretty sure it will not be a waste of your hard earned dollars.  Until then, drink mezcal!