Info Shots

• Price: ~$459.99 (2024)
• Spirit: Tequila / Mezcal Joven
• Proof: 86 (43% alcohol)
• Noses (smell): Cooked agave, green chile, and sweet fruit
• Palate (taste): Herbal front with hints of caramel, lime zest and clove, with a mineral and spiced aftertaste
• Age Statement: N/A
  • NOM: D291G
  • Made from green agave instead of blue weber agave

Distiller information

Background

This is Clase Azul Mezcal line where the previous iterations were the Durango (black sandblasted bottle) or the Guerrero (teal blue sandblasted bottle) of which I can state are all unique and different in their own ways. Each are named after the region of where the agave used in the mezcal comes from. Guerrero comes from the mountain ranges in the Guerrero region and the Durango comes from the that region which I believe is from the low lands regions where temperatures give the mezcal its unique flavors. The San Luis Potosi is the 2024 addition to this line and has some very large shoes to fit given the recent price increase and other offerings from Clase Azul.

The cap is hand woven artwork that is made up of dyed yarn. Each caps are supposed to take about 3 hours to make and are an artwork that depicts the mythical birds of the region of San Luis Potosí and the scene on the cap is suppose to “represents a beautiful desert landscape of mountains and valleys overflown by bright red finches” as state on Clase Azul’s website. The cap is still metal underneath the yarn, but I would not recommend “dinging” this bell

The bottle continues this trend of the red finches design with the birds being featured around the base of the bottle with the up and down dotted striations used to depict a mountain range around the bottle with agave featured at the base of each mountain. The sand blasted bottle is consistent with the other mezcals in the series and will feel rough to the touch and will snag almost anything that rubs against it. This certainly makes it difficult to keep the bottle clean. The new logo also features either resin or inlays that are red to match the theme of the bottle as seen in the pictures below

At this time, they state there is influence of the tales from San Luis Potosi, but I am not a historian and cannot validate the authenticity of these tales without influencing the possibility of miss information. I am sure there are tales for the red finches depicted throughout the bottles and cap design, but I cannot add to it or validate this information or claim without knowledge of the region. If someone would like to correct or add to this, please comment down below to elaborate if possible.

Onto the Review

Temperature

For me, mezcal has a very distinct nose that is only applicable to other mezcals. It’s the smokey smell that is obtained from roasting the agave during the distilling process. However this one is not as pronounced or in your face as the other mezcals are. The other notes that are picked up on the nose is almost that of green peppers on the nose. It’s a almost roasted peppers smell that is distinct to this particular mezcal. The smokey nose is almost playing second base in the list of other nose here with a very low amount of crushed pepper corn. There is a sweetness to the nose, but I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s a fruit smell in particular. I haven’t picked up the other notes listed by the distiller such as caramel or fresh cut grass, but that sweetness could definitely be akined to scents given off by wildflowers.

The taste is incredibly full of complexity. The mix of peat from this mezcal is delectable and easy to approach for most people. The mezcal smokey-ness is not as intense, but well balanced amongst the flavors. This is followed by a sweetness on the tongue that certainly give taste of a sugared candy mixed with the agave to make almost like a sugary agave note, though this can be similar to the herbal and caramel flavors listed on the distellers tasting notes, however this doesn’t have flavors of caramel directly. I do get the mild lime zest as it kinda give an acidic taste to the end that is rather nice to the tongue. The only one I dont know or get is this mineral and spiced aftertaste. I get a more spiced agave notes that linger around.

Overall this is a treat and certainly a great addition to my Clase Azul collection.

Conclusion

Well, they certainly filled the big shoes of the now three mezcals in the Clase Azul line up. This one is quite the treat and would certainly please both tequilas, mezcals, and certainly average sipping drinkers. The issue maybe this is too complex for most occasions as this for sure is a sipping tequila. In terms of uniqueness this one is rather unique in both nose and flavor profiles. As stated in my review above, I have not found a mezcal that has a smoked pepper flavor that isn’t per say a pepper flavored tequila. The other thing of note is just how balanced and complex the flavors are. I don’t think one particular area over power’s another flavor.

Now the bad, the price. It used to be that you could get a Clase Azul Mezcal for just about $300 say in 2022 if not as late as late 2023. Now 2024 has rolled around and that same mezcal is $400 – $450. This certainly is a pill to swallow as there are cheaper more approachable options. I would also recommend trying before you buy, but with the mezcals I have never seen many bars, if at all, off this as an option. So for a lot of people this bottle is a huge gamble. I certainly wouldn’t make it your first mezcal, but recommend it to someone who have had a few and is comfortable drinking mezcals. Though that being said, $450 is still no small change and thus hurts the score pretty significantly as this I don’t feel live up to $400 plus range.

And that okay if you want to spend that much if it’s an exclusivity then go right ahead. The issue for most people is that the bottles are certainly becoming more art pieces than they are for good tequila. The bottles going up $100 dollars isn’t because the juice got scarcer or it got that much better, it’s they want that much more. And business is business so I certainly understand. But Clase Azul wants a premium product and the bottle stand out amongst the rest. For me I am buying both the art of the artist that work on these bottles and the tequila inside.

For me some are certainly not worth the price, such as the Durango, while other are worth every penny as they take me to a place and time with every sip, such as the Guerrero. For me San Luis Potosi is in the middle, but neck and neck with Guerrero in terms of would buy again given the price. Del Maguey is certainly another brand that comes to mind as well as illegal in terms of value for the juice you get.

This tequila is thus stuck at a quandary as one could say. On the one hand it’s brilliantly crafted and a very good tequila over all with a great story and bottle to back it up. On the other, it has also a price tag that is pushing it to be more art than a tequila. Thus, it’s whether or not you think that this bottle is more valuable as an art piece, a tequila, or both? For me I find this to still be a $250 – $300 dollars tequila where it used to be. This didn’t get that much better, but it was for me a gamble worth taking a chance on. Would I buy another one, if it remains the price and I run out I may consider it. It’s kind of for me at the moment a one and done as unlike Guerrero, it doesn’t take me back to a time and place for much of anything. It’s cool and nice to show off, but that’s about it for me.

TL;DR

• Would I recommend to newbies of tequila or mezcal: no
• Would I recommend it to those who enjoy sipping tequila? Yes
• Would I recommend to mezcal lovers or people who like peaty things? Absolutely, but warn them of price
• Would I recommend to people looking for something unique or different? Yes, but warn about the price

Score