Vallecito – Del Maguey Vida Puebla

Since a few years there is another Vida bottling from Del Maguey. I had to chance to compare both neat and in cocktails. Apart from that, I came up with a spiced Margarita variation using Piment d’Espelette liqueur.

The Del Maguey Puebla also uses Espadín agaves similar to the Vida Clásico. Yet, the agaves grow in Axocopan in the state of Puebla. Apart from that, the Pinas are also roasted in earth ovens, smashed in an electric mill, fermented and distilled in copper pot-stills. Nevertheless, the distillery where the Puebla is produced is state-of-the-art.

Quite tasty

First, the ‘Puebla’ starts with notes which remind me of white wine vinegar. As always with Mezcal, those notes have a positive connotation, in contrast to what you might think when reading it. Next, you get subtle smoke, way less than with the Vida Clásico. In the back of the taste you are greeted by a certain minerality with reminded me of wet clay. All in all, I do prefer the Puebla neat compared to its counterpart.

A spicy Margarita

For a drink using the Vida Puebla, I thought of a spicy Margarita variation. I had some Piment d’Espelette liqueur from Giffard on hand and combined it with Szechuan eau de vie from my good friend Manuel Engel. To round everything off, I added a pickled chili pepper as a garnish. The key is that you strain the drink over the pickled pepper into the glass. This way you get just a touch of brine into the drink.

I do love the combination of smoke, spice and agave flavours in this drink. On top of that, I could not have chosen a better mezcal for this one. The vinegar and vegetal flavours of the Puebla work perfectly well in this. In the background you can find the chili flavours of the liqueur as well as the earthy spices of the Szechuan eau de vie.

*The fact that I received a product reviewed in this article for free, did not – in any way – influence the rating of said product. I received the mezcal for free from Jacobi Spirits