Mezcal Vago Cuishe Emigdio Jarquín – 2021

Mezcal Vago was founded by Judah Kuper with the Garcia family in Oaxaca, bottling single maestro spirits made in traditional palenques without additives. This Cuishe comes from Emigdio Jarquin, whose blue label expressions are distilled in copper with a refrescador. Cuishe is a form of Agave karwinskii, a tall and slender maguey with narrow pinas that lend mineral and floral character. It is an artesanal joven, bottled unaged at 50.7%, with strength varying slightly between lots.
The nose carries roasted banana, caramelised tropical fruit and strong vegetal notes. On the palate it shows slate, capsicum and rainwater alongside bright apple, pear and kiwi, with mint and banana leaf and a pine needle thread. Pit roasting adds a restrained smoke, and the finish is dry and stony. As a karwinskii it leans green, herbal and mineral, a clear contrast to the sweeter espadin style.