Mezcal Vago Ensamble Emigdio Jarquin (700ml / 50.8%)

The Vago Ensamble with a blue label comes from Emigdio Jarquín Ramírez in Miahuatlan, Oaxaca. While Vago has produced Ensamble en Barro from Tio Rey for many years, and a few ensambles from Aquilino have been released over the years, Emigdio’s ensambles began hitting the market in 2018. They are a blend of everything you’d love about any Emigdio single-varietal release, and they give him an opportunity to showcase some different distillations.

This ensamble blends cuishe, madrecuishe and tepeztate.

Vago Mezcal

Mezcal Vago began when co-founder Judah Kuper visited a hospital in Oaxaca, Mexico. He fell in love with the nurse who treated him. Her father, Aquilino Garcia, was a sustenance farmer who also produced mezcal. Judah and Aquilino, along with Judah’s longtime friend Dylan Sloan, launched Mezcal Vago. In 2013, their first exported bottles arrived in Texas. Each of their mezcals is produced naturally in a traditional palenque with no additives. The brand aims to empower both the master craftsmen with a celebration of his art. Also the consumer by giving them the knowledge they need to find a great mezcal. The brand plants 3 agaves for each single agave they harvest. Their goal is to end the use wild agave by 2025 for most of their releases.

In 2017, Mezcal Vago began using different colour labels for their different mezcaleros. Emigdio Jarquin (blue label) distills in copper with refrescador. Aquilino and Joel Barriga (tan and gold labels respectively) distil in copper. Tio Rey (red label) distils in clay pots. All their mezcaleros use different water sources and make different distillation cuts. In 2018, Mezcal Vago established an investment partnership with Samson and Surrey. With the new partnership, each Mezcal Vago mezcalero has a stake in Samson and Surrey.

AROMA: Watermelon juice. Chalky. Floral. Long lasting, bright aromas. Very nice.
TASTE: Cherry Gummi Bears. Bamboo shoots. Lavender. A tad cheesy (Parmesan) and woodiness (fresh bark) in the finish.
Overall, packs a great punch of flavour
ENJOY: Benefits from opening up in the glass. Sipping mezcal is enjoyed slowly and with friends.