Batuq Reposado

Verdict

Bacanora's northern austerity is part of what makes the category itself – softening it with wood is a commercial concession that doesn't add anything the base bottle needed. A competent reposado that survives the aging, but the blanco is the more interesting bottle by a clear margin. Buy the Batuq blanco; leave the reposado for drinkers who think oak always improves agave spirit.

Tasting notes

Nose: Pine, oak, warm earth, faint vanilla, soft smoke and a trace of cooked sugar underneath

Palate: The oak integrates cleanly at 49% – the base proof is enough to let the bacanora character push back against the barrel, which is the whole reason most reposado mezcal fails

Finish: Warm, oaky, with a late pine note

The bottom line

Buy the blanco