Review: Craft Distillers Mezcalero Release #11 Bramaderos (Miahuatlan)

Review: Craft Distillers Mezcalero Release #11 Bramaderos (Miahuatlan)

Review: Craft Distillers Mezcalero Release #11 Bramaderos (Miahuatlan)Craft Distillers’ Mezcalero is a series of one-time batches of mezcal, similar to the ArteNOM tequila releases. Once they’re all sold, they’re gone for good. But don’t worry — in both cases, they always make more.

We first encountered Mezcalero in its second batch, and while I felt that release was a touch lackluster, it intrigued me enough to keep following the line. Mezcalero is now in its 12th release — and we just received release #11, still on the market, for review.

Mezcalero #11 is made from four types of agave: Semi-wild agave karwinskii  (madrecuishe) that grows on stalks, bicuishe, rhodacantha (Mexicano), and cultivated espadín. (Espadin is by far the most common type used in modern mezcal.) The spirit is crafted by distiller Alberto Ortiz (aka Don Beto) near Miahuatlan, Mexico.

Mezcalero #11 is silky and sweet and smoky on the nose, offering neat citrus aromas, iodine, and a persistent lacing of gentle smoke character. The body starts off gently, again pushing its citrus character along with ample notes of roasted meats (or bacon) and some menthol. The smoke builds slowly, then faster, but the sweetness holds its own throughout. The finish is rounded and seductive, a solid example of a well-crafted mezcal that has all the essentials in place.

1068 bottles produced, making this a bit easier to find than prior releases. 94.6 proof.

A- / $84

Craft Distillers Mezcalero Release #11 Bramaderos (Miahuatlan)

$84
9

Rating

9.0/10

A veteran journalist, the author of four books, a published poet, and an award-winning winemaker, Christopher Null has more than 25 years of experience writing about wine and spirits. He founded Drinkhacker in 2007. He also writes regularly about the science of booze for WIRED and is an occasional contributor to ADI's Distiller magazine. He has been a judge for both the American Distilling Institute Judging of Craft Spirits and Whiskies of the World spirits competitions and often works as a consultant, developing formal tasting notes for spirits brands around the world.

2 Comments

  1. Cynthia Perez on May 31, 2025 at 11:13 am

    Hi Christopher, how can you grade a mezcal? I’m introducing a brand into south florida

    And I would like to connect with you and learn

    Thank
    You

    Cynthia Perez

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