Review: Olvídame Si Puedes (Forget Me If You Can)    85/100
Review by Chip Dykstra
September 28, 2023

I had a small tequila tasting with my friend Jeremiah on my back deck a several weeks ago. My plan was to taste a few agave spirits which had fallen into my possession and get some feedback from my good friend who appreciates the wild spirit as much as I do. I was delighted when he arrives with a small bottle of Mezcal which was part of a complimentary amenities package he received when he stayed at a resort in Mexico. The spirit, Olvídame Si Puedes (Forget Me If You Can), is part of the complimentary amenities package found in the AAA Five Diamond Grand Velas Mexican Resorts in Los Cabos, Riviera Maya, Riviera Nayarit, and Puerto Vallarta.

According to the label on the bottle the Mezcal was bottled by the same company which bottles Noble Coyote (Nom-039x); and therefore, there might be some similarities in flavour profile between the Noble Coyote and Olvídame Si Puedes.

My research indicates that the Forget Me Not Mezcal mezcal was produced with 100% Espadin agave which were at least six of age when harvested Oaxaca, Mexico.It was double distilled using copper pot distillation and bottled at 36.5% alcohol by volume.

In The Bottle 4/5

The tall slender bottle shown to the left appears to be very similar to the style of bottle shown on the Noble Coyote website for their mezcal offerings. Olvídame Si Puedes, of course has a different label. It is also provided as a 250 ml bottle which is a nice size for such an amenity. It is large enough to serve as an evening sipper for the duration of your stay, and small enough to easily fit in your luggage if you choose to take it back home as my friend did. (And it is large enough to share with a friend.)

The overall look implies sophistication, and I appreciate the back label gives me some of the production details for the mezcal. I note that the spirit’s Master Mescalero was Jorge Baldero; the agave was crushed with a tahona wheel; and the spirit was distilled twice. There is more, but my Spanish is lacking for further translation.

I am bothered that the closure (under that black wrap) is a flimsy plastic screwcap, and that for some reason a QR code covers part of the product name. Little niggles that should be fixed to complete the sophistication which is first implied.

In The Glass 8.5/10

The Mezcal brings a us a gentle nose. The agave fruit is mildly punky, and it is accompanied by citrus zest and peppery spices that rise into the air alongside. The notes of black pepper and cilantro that rise up are mild rather than heated. The agave fruit reminds me of grilled pineapple and zucchini, and there is perhaps a wisp of smokiness as well. At this point the mezcal seems very approachable; I am intrigued and hopeful.

In The Mouth 52/60

Olvídame Si Puedes delivery features a light agave sweetness which first turns fruity and then smokey in a manner which reminds me very much of a peated whisky. When Mezcal is made, the agave pinas are usually roasted in underground pits prior to being crushed under the tohona wheel. I wonder if that roasting pit is responsible for the smokey peat-like flavour impression in the agave flavour profile. I also taste citrus zest, black pepper and cilantro. The peppery quality is more forceful now than it was appearing on the nose. Grilled pineapple, a light touch of vanilla, and bits of grassy menthol reminiscent of mint and heather round out the flavour profile.  This is not what I was expecting, but the flavours work extremely well. This reminds me very much of Montelobos Mezcal Joven  which I reviewed a few years ago and which is also a mezcal produced with 100% Espadin agave.

In the Throat 13/15

The finish is lightly sweet and very smooth. Punky agave combines with a light smokey peat-like impression. Mild black pepper and citrus zest follow as well. I would describe the exit as comfortable.

The Afternburn 8.5/10

Mescal can be produced in many different ways including the use many varieties of agave (see here). This means that we never really know what to expect when we nose and taste a new brand that we are unfamiliar with. It can be light or heavy, smokey or fruity, or some combination of all and more. In this case the Olvídame Si Puedes leans heavily in the direction of mild flavours and aromas with just gentle winding smokiness. This makes sense. Most of the tourist who will be staying at the Grand Velas Mexican Resorts will not have tasted Mezcal before. The hotel wants as many people to enjoy their free amenity as possible and choosing a flavour profile that will please the widest audience is a smart move. A seasoned Mezcal aficionado may want more smoke and flavour, but that’s not the audience for this spirit. This spirit is meant for the guests of the resort, and it seems to hit the target squarely.

You may read some of my other Tequila and Mezcal Reviews (click the link) if you wish to have some comparative reviews.

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You may (loosely) interpret the scores as follows.

0-25     A spirit with a rating this low would actually kill you.
26-49   Depending upon your fortitude you might actually survive this.
50 -59  You are safe to drink this…but you shouldn’t.
60-69   Substandard swill which you may offer to people you do not want to see again.
70-74    Now we have a fair mixing Tequila.  Accept this but make sure it is mixed into a cocktail.
75-79    You may begin to serve this to friends, (we are probably still cocktail in territory).
80-84    We begin to enjoy this spirit neat or on the rocks. (I will still primarily mix cocktails)
85-89    Excellent for sipping or for mixing delicious cocktails!
90-94    Definitely a primary sipping spirit, in fact you may want to hoard this for yourself.
95-97.5 The Cream of the Crop
98+       I haven’t met this bottle yet…but I want to.

Very loosely we may put my scores into terms that you may be familiar with on a Gold, Silver, and  Bronze medal  scale as follows:

70 – 79.5    Bronze Medal (Recommended only as a mixer)
80 – 89.5     Silver Medal (Recommended for sipping and or a high quality mixer)
90 – 95         Gold Medal (Highly recommended for sipping and for sublime cocktails.)
95.5+            Platinum Award (Highest Recommendation)