BOTTLE REVIEW | TASTING NOTES
Brand: 5 Sentidosβ
βCategory: Artisanal / Destilado de Agave (Pechuga)β
βAgave: Espadilla (Agave angustifolia)β
βABV: 49.1%β
βRegion: Zoyatla, Pueblaβ
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βTHE SNIFF:
β - Roasted cacao, dried chiles, and something savoryβ¦maybe chicken broth. β
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βTHE KISS:
- Surprisingly sweet upfront with notes of ripe plantain and dark chocolate, before quickly transitioning into earthy, savory mole spices.
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βTHE COAT:
- A thick, oily blanket over the tongue. It delivers warming chili spice, cinnamon, and a meaty umami flavor.
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βTHE SWALLOW:
- Intensity: Medium
- Complexity: Highly Complex
- Body: Full. Viscous and oily
- Length: Long
- Smoke: Light
- Did I Like It?: Yes. Not an everyday sipper though.
OVERALL REVIEW:
If you like mole poblano, youβre going to really appreciate this bottle. The nose comes in straight mole with roasted cacao, dried chiles, and plantain. The first sip is soft, a little plantain sweetness up front. Then it flips fast into thick, savory spice that coats the whole mouth.
At 49% ABV it has some bite and youβll feel it. The finish runs long with the classic mole cinnamon and chile heat lingering. Not much smoke in this one though.
I always have a bottle of this on hand as both a βwow factorβ from a flavor perspective and for use in tastings to show curious drinkers a unique expression. I can only have about one serving of this before I want something a little less complex and clean. Okay...maybe two servings.
BEGINNER'S NOTE:
Pechuga gets its name from what happens during the final distillation. The mezcalero typically suspends a satchel of herbs, spices, and raw protein. In this case, a raw chicken breast and a basket of mole poblano ingredients are added (cacao, plantains, tomatoes, dried chiles). When the rising alcohol vapor passes through all of the ingredients, it imparts a unique flavor. The fat from the protein gives the mezcal its thicker mouthfeel and the food-first flavor you don't get anywhere else in the category.
FUN FACT:
The agave used in this distilado is called Espadilla. While it shares the same scientific name as EspadΓn (angustifolia), it is considered βsimilar but not the sameβ in different regions of Mexico. Think of EspadΓn as more commercial name and Espadilla as more of a local/regional name. In this case, local to Puebla. What you call it is up to you. All I know is Iβm not getting in the middle of this argument between two mezcaleros!
DOWNLOAD THE TASTING GUIDE:
Below is the tasting guide I use to capture my notes. βI designed it to follow the way you "should" drink mezcal -- Sniff, Kiss, Coat, Swallow: Mezcal Tasting Guide | MezcalCulture.Com - 2026.pdfβ