Today I’m sharing reviews I did with fellow blogger Ashley of SipWithMeLV of the “recently launched award-winning Hedonistas de la Fe Mezcal…Having just won Gold and Silver medals at the SIP Awards 2023…(these) deep, rich and complex mezcals crafted from proprietary recipes handed down from four generations.”
Below are our collective notes, and below that is a portion of their recent press release. Note: I had invited Ashley to the tasting as I hoped she could create cocktails with the samples. However, the bottles I received were the small 50 ml size (like you receive on an airplane) so that wasn’t an option.
Aroma and Tasting Notes
Tobala: Smoke, pepper, tropical fruit, citrus, orange, vanilla, grapefruit in a Paloma cocktail, heat and some salinity.
Cuishe: Floral, lychee, smoke, spice, sawdust, olive oil, salinity, earthy, musty and a bit Sake like.
Tepeztate: Soft, floral, creamy, round, dark cherry, char, black olive, pimento, lychee, less heat, some Sake notes again. Both Ashley and I agreed on this one being the favorite.
Espadin: Lots of green olive, brine, smoke, honey, pepper, grapefruit, Umami notes.
From the Press Release
Hedonistas de la Fe is produced in Matalan, Oaxaca, sacred ground zero for mezcal. Unlike other spirits, these unique mezcals are hand-made according to a 500-year-old tradition. From harvest to distillation, the process is non-mechanized and created in one distillery by one family, the Santiago’s, a rarity in modern mezcal
The online price range is $64.99 to $199.99 per bottle and the company offers free shipping for orders of $150 or more. Each varietal embodies unique flavors reflecting the terroir and craftsmanship of the Santiago family recipes and far exceed the standards of other premium mezcals.
The flavor profiles vary from the cultivated ESPADIN (Agave Angustifolia) to the wild agave, which include the powerhouse TOBALA (Agave Potatorum), the elegant CUISHE (Agave Karwinskii), and the complex TEPEZTATE (Agave Marmorata).
Hedonistas’ ESPADIN, which recently received a Gold Sip Awards 2023, is well-balanced with gentle smoke and honey notes on the nose, and white pepper, grapefruit peel, and tropical fruit to taste. It is perfect for sipping, and is cocktail friendly, especially in a Negroni, Margarita, or Paloma. It is priced at $64.99.
Hedonistas’ TOBALA embodies nuanced flavors of tropical fruit and herbaceous spices on the nose. Green pepper and citrus marry on the palate with this full-bodied and balanced mezcal. This is a powerhouse sipping elixir for the discerning palate. It is priced at $121.00.
Hedonistas’ CUISHE mezcal, which recently received a Gold Sip Awards 2023, is flower-blossom forward, with gentle notes of lychee fruit on the nose. Very approachable, with anise up front and sake-like mid-palate, the taste is floral, with a long, balanced finish. This is an elegant mezcal priced at $134.99.
Hedonistas’ TEPEZTATE is Hedonistas de la Fe’s most complex wild mezcal. Soft and floral, with light smoke and baking spices on the nose, it is creamy and round on the palate, with a Calvados-like taste. Big and long on the finish, this is an exceptional mezcal that rises above all others. It is priced at $199.99.
Hedonistas de la Fe is produced in partnership with Mezcal Santa Maria and the Santiago family, which is headed by Gerardo “Kaín” Santiago Hernandez, a fourth-generation Maestro Mezcalero raised in Matatlan, Oaxaca.
Hedonistas de la Fe was founded after business partners, Bhalin Singh and Jim Beaubien, were introduced to this multi-generational, family-run distillery in the heart of Oaxaca. Singh and Beaubien were astounded when they sampled Kain’s mezcals and an exclusive partnership between Hedonistas de la Fe and the Santiago family was born.
In addition to sharing the quality mezcal, Hedonistas de la Fe is committed to supporting the communities, people and environment within the region.
For more information on the brand and online sales offering please visit https://www.hedonistasdelafe.com/
Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in the first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Proof Awards, Cellarmasters, LA Wine Competition, Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.
