Produced by third generation mezcal master distiller Gregorio Velasco in San Luis del Río, Oaxaca, Dos Hombres was founded by Breaking Bad actors Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul in partnership with him. Velasco was the master distiller for the well-received Pierde Espadín mezcal.
Dos Hombres joven (unaged) mezcal is made from cultivated Espadín agave grown for a minimum of six years which are hand chopped into quarters before a 4-day cook in an earthen underground pit oven layered with hot stones and covered with soil. A horse-drawn volcanic stone wheel (tahona) extracts the sugars (aguamiel) which are then fermented with agave fibers (bagasse; bagazo) in wooden open-air vats using ambient yeast for 7-10 days. The mezcal is 2x-distilled in copper pot stills before being proofed down with volcanic mountain spring water to 84 proof (42% ABV)
Reviews for it are mixed but it’s currently on big sale in Virginia, so I decided to give it a shot. I don’t automatically write off “celebrity” spirits if they’re actually produced by reputable experts like Velasco and enjoy a handful of celebrity-backed agave spirits brands including Código 1530 and Santo Fino tequilas.
On the nose are aromas of green apple and melon, cooked Espadín agave, fresh green bell pepper, light-to-moderate mesquite BBQ smoke, damp pine, orange zest, florality, minerality, salinity, and a faint hint of vanilla.
On the palate there are flavors of earthy cooked Espadín, the light-to-moderate BBQ or campfire smoke from the nose, minerality, salinity, green bell pepper, orchard fruits and melon, orange and grapefruit zest, florality, and black pepper.
Both the aroma and flavor profiles are discernibly Espadín mezcal but, for me, the earthy, “funky,” and smokey notes are not overwhelming and are tempered with a distinct fruity sweetness, robust minerality, balanced salinity, and “green” (vegetal/grassy/herbal) notes.
The mezcal has a creamy mouthfeel that lasts for a moderate length of time with a 6-7 second finish closing the sip with fruity sweetness, the “green” notes, florality, and light BBQ smokiness.
To me, this joven (or at least this lote/batch) would be a good introductory mezcal that won’t overwhelm the palates of those curious about but not acclimated to mezcals.
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