Mezcal Vago Ensamble en Barro Tio Rey (700ml / 49.5%)

Vago Ensamble de Barro is from Sola de Vega is an Ancestral mezcal made using hand maceration and clay pot distillation. It has a soft bouquet of pine needles and fertile earth. Its full body has an essence of charred cinnamon and finishes with notes of pumpkin and chestnuts.  Each release of this bottle has drastic differences in the percentages of each type of agave that is used.  A Vago Ensamble de Barro from 2015 could be significantly different than one from 2016.

Learn more about this release at Mezcal Vago’s blog Mas Mezcal

This ensamble blends Espadin, Coyote and Mexicano

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: The aroma is so deep and rich with earthy clay but also strawberry, citrus and blueberry.
TASTE: The taste is like smooth fire—good heat from the abv and also nice smoke. Of course there’s some clay with light sweetness. The finish is incredible and even and lingers with roasted chiles.
ENJOY: Benefits from opening up in the glass. Sipping mezcal is enjoyed slowly and with friends.