Menu Close

Los Vecinos del Campo Mezcal Espadín

Bottle of clear-colored Los Vecinos del Campo Mezcal sitting on a wooden table, in front of a mixed white and wooden background

Just so you know, this post contains affiliate links. We do receive a small commission when you click on our links and make a purchase (at no extra cost to you). We always give our honest opinions, and these opinions are fully our own. See our Disclaimers →

Los Vecinos del Campo Mezcal Espadin

EMMELINE'S RATING:
4/5

About Los Vecinos del Campo Mezcal Espadin

Los Vecinos del Campo Mezcal Espadin is produced by Mezcal Chichicapam, a group of local Mezcal-producing families in Oaxaca, Mexico. As a brand, however, Los Vecinos del Campo is considered a collaboration between Casa San Matías and Sazerac, who seem to take on the leg work of marketing and distributing their artisanal Mezcals. Overall, they seem to take great pride in the community spirit and dedication to tradition that goes into crafting each bottle. The brand name reflects the “neighbors” – referring to the 10 local families whose labor creates this Mezcal using methods passed down through the generations.

The agaves used are locally grown and harvested by hand, and then prepared, roasted, and fermented using traditional processes. This particular bottle of Mezcal Espadin uses Espadin Agave. Each small batch is double distilled in copper pot stills. As a Mezcal “joven”, It is not aged prior to bottling.

Bottle Specs

❖  ABV: 45%

❖ Distillery: Integradora Comercial Ejutla S.A. de C.V. 

❖ Aging: N/A

❖ Price Point: Low-priced

Tasting Notes

Though there aren’t any official tasting notes for this Mezcal Espadin, there a few notes that retailers seem to agree on:

Palate:

❖ spice

❖ roasted tropical fruit

❖ ginger

❖ bell pepper

Shot glass filled with clear liquid next to an open bottle of Los Vecinos del Campo Mezcal, sitting on a wooden table

My Tasting notes

As I took my first whiff of this Mezcal, the aroma felt distinct, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on the individual notes. As I continue, I pick out a smokiness that reminded me of my father’s hometown in Mexico – in my mind’s eye, I see memories there that took place while food roasted in the background. I see my dad’s favorite smoky roasted peanuts. There is a strong sense of place in the aromas. After several sniffs, the fruity notes come out, though they are very subtle. Overall, I get the sense that the nose notes aren’t meant to be isolated – but rather, they work together to create a unique scent.

From my first sip, the spice notes hit hard! There was a bite to this Mezcal, but I could immediately tell it was not coming from the alcohol. The alcohol itself tasted very smooth. That said – it was a bit hard for me to sip this straight because of the strong spice and ginger notes that overpowered the other flavors throughout my tasting. I could never quite pick out the fruit notes. After a while, I began to feel and smell a smokiness in my nose. Oddly – when I was finished with my tasting, my nose and throat area felt very clear and cleansed.

Cocktail

For my cocktail, I wanted to try out the Saladito, which I first heard about from the book Regarding Cocktails. It seemed nicely balanced in a way that would really highlight the Mezcal flavors.

SALADITO

❖ 2 oz Espadin Mezcal

❖ 3/4 honey syrup

❖ 3/4 lime juice

❖ garnish: 1 pinch cayenne pepper

❖ garnish: 1 pinch sea salt

Golden yellow colored cocktail in a coupe glass with cayenne pepper garnish
  1. Combine the ingredients in a shaker with ice, and shake until chilled.
  2. Strain the mixture into a cocktail glass.
  3. Garnish with the cayenne pepper and sea salt.

I was very pleased with this Mezcal inside of a cocktail! As I suspected would happen, the spice notes were cut nicely by the mixers, and I was able to fully appreciate the smoothness of the spirit. I also found that Los Vecinos del Campo added nice dimension to the flavors of the cocktail. There was a distinct smokiness, and I could also taste the roasted fruit notes that worked in tandem with the lime juice. I couldn’t identify the individual fruits notes, but this didn’t bother me. If I’m being honest, I absolutely savored each sip of this drink. The flavors worked so beautifully together, and it was quite a meditative experience.

Bottom Line

RATING: 4/5

Overall, I was impressed with Los Vecinos del Campo Mezcal Espadin. In the past, I’ve usually opted for Tequila over Mezcal when given a choice – but after tasting this spirit, my eyes have been opened. The flavors had so much depth, and I could taste generations of history. I would definitely recommend this bottle to anyone looking to get into Mezcal – especially beginners. It was a really nice introduction to appreciating the complexities of the spirit, and made for a delicious cocktail. I would certainly purchase from this brand again.

One thing that I found a bit odd was the marketing of this product. Los Vecinos del Campo is marketed as a collaboration between Casa San Matías and Sazerac. However, the actual labor is done by local families with generations of Mezcal-producing experience. A far as my research could tell, Casa San Matías and Sazerac are not involved at all with the actual production of the spirit.

Personally, I found the “collaboration” narrative to be a bit disingenuous. I wish the artisan mezcaleros were highlighted more in marketing materials.  Although I’m happy to support the local producers, the underplaying of their contributions by Sazerac left a sour taste in my mouth. That said – it wasn’t sour enough to ruin the absolute bliss of drinking my Saladito cocktail with this Mezcal Espadin. Cheers to the families of Mezcal Chichicapam!

As always, drink responsibly.

Not Quite what you're looking for?

SEE OUR OTHER MEZCAL REVIEWS:

JOIN THE NEWSLETTER!

Get more from Let’s Drink It! by subscribing to our monthly email newsletter

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *