Corte Vetusto Espadín mezcal review
Enjoy a mezcal with a little smokiness, sweetness and a smooth texture with this offering from Corte Vetusto. See how we rated it.
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Corte Vetusto Espadín mezcal – 45% ABV
Overall rating: 4.5/5
In a nutshell: A smooth mezcal that's suitable for sipping. There's a little smoke and sweetness, plus fresh fruit flavours, like pear. It has a smooth, creamy and satisfying texture.
Full review of Corte Vetusto Espadín mezcal
Corte Vetusto makes three mezcals. One is a 100% tobalá agave spirit, and another is their Ensembla which, as the name suggests, is a blend of agaves. For us, however, their outstanding spirit is this Espadín.
The espadin is the most common agave used for mezcal, and it can be hard for a brand to stand out from the crowd. This one certainly does. It’s cooked in the pit oven with mesquite wood for four days, giving it a smokier aroma and taste, and distilled twice in small 250-litre copper pot stills. It’s bottled at 45% ABV.
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On the nose, the mezcal is warm and whisky-like, not overly smoky. There’s a vanilla-like sweetness to it as well, and a hint of fresh fruit that evokes pears.
The palate delivers what the nose promised – a little smokiness, sweetness, fresh fruit, and a smooth and creamy texture that's very pleasing in the mouth. The 45% alcohol does creep up on you, but the finish is smooth and it’s definitely a mezcal you can enjoy sipping. It’s no surprise that this won a Gold Medal at the 2017 International Wine and Spirits Competition.
The perfect pour
You can substitute mezcal for tequila in a cocktail recipe. Corte Vetusto recommends doing just that in their take on a Paloma, using their Espadín instead of tequila, served with tonic water and a pink grapefruit garnish.
Read our full review of mezcals
This review was last updated in June 2019. If you have any questions or suggestions for future reviews, or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk. For information on alcohol guidelines, read our guide to drinking responsibly.
