Kelly and Jones Mezcal Flora
Kelly Jones, Founder of KELLY+JONES has been on a creative bender of recent. Her Mezcal Collection debuted in 2018 and she has been adding to it over the last couple of years. I admit to being smitten by the collection, and today I present the new Mezcal Flora.
Kelly Jones Founder of Kelly and Jones
As a Senior Wine and Spirits Specialist at one of Manhattan’s premier wine stores and a Wine Consultant, it gives me pleasure to review any Kelly + Jones fragrance.
Kelly and Jones Mezcal Flora Collection
Mezcal’s appeal comes from the back stories the brands tell about the villages and people who distill the spirits and the taste. “Mezcal” translates to “oven-cooked agave.” Agave takes eight to 30 years to mature, and there’s no machine that harvests them, so it’s all manpower. With such an artisanal spirit it explains why it often costs more than tequila. When describing Mezcal, the most recurring descriptor would be their signature smokiness. And, predominantly so for the uninitiated. But the better mezcals are certainly not a one-dimensional spirit. Notes of sugar, herbs, salt, fruit, and citrus come into play.
Citrus-infused mezcal at El Palenquito Mezcaleria
Mezcal is witnessing impressive growth. With just under 900,000 cases exported to the U.S. in 2022, that is up from 57,000 cases in 2012. And it is associated as an upscale product averaging more than $40 a bottle at retail, second only to single malt Scotch in terms of the highest average price per bottle.
Mexico City Flower Market
Kelly + Jones’s Mezcal Collection was developed in the mountains of Oaxaca. Blended with fifty essential oils and naturals, all are hand-poured and contain a “tequila accord” – a thread of scent containing the rich aromas of the heart of the agave. The label, made from eco-friendly paper is fully compostable, and biodegradable. The perfumes are specially created to pair with various varietals of Mezcal.
So how did Mezcal Flora come to be? It was over the Spring of this year that Kelly traveled to Mexico City seeking inspiration for a new fragrance. She found it in the city’s famous flower market. Her desire was to capture the essence of sipping mezcal while taking in all these incredible aromas. I must preface that floral notes are not generally associated with mezcal, but there are a small number of brands that do, and they are worth seeking out. So, I was intrigued by how Kelly would interpret this. I had nothing to fear, Mezcal Flora, is an enrapturing fragrance that is at once addictive, sensual, and smoky which encapsulates this experience in a bottle.
Kelly and Jones Mezcal Flora opens with a delicious creamy tequila rose note of fresh strawberries with a hint of pink pepper floating here and there. There is jasmine, not indolic which is as soft as a whisper, balanced with a subdued and powdery suede musk. There is a hint of petrol floating about interacting with a luxurious leather jacket note that envelopes the dry down.
Unlike Anejo who is like your assertive friend, Blanca who is like your best friend, Kelly and Jones Mezcal Flora is your poised and collected friend. An enrapturing fragrance that is flowery, dreamy, and feminine. Class in a bottle.
Notes: Tequila Rose accord, Suede Musk, Saguaro Blossom, Pink Pepper, Petrol
Disclaimer: My bottle of Mezcal Flora was kindly sent to me by Kelly Jones. My opinions are mine and only mine!
All Photos are courtesy of Kelly and Jones except where credited otherwise and cannot be reproduced without permission.
Hernando Courtright ~ Senior Events Contributor and Brand Ambassador
Note from Kelly Jones: It was an honor to work with Steven Claisse, VP & Perfumer at Takasago. Kelly and Jones fragrances meet the strict regulatory and quality guidelines of IFRA.
Thanks to the generosity of Kelly Jones, we have a draw for a Mezcal Flora Eau de Parfum Spray (1.69 fl oz / 50 ml) with gold foil printed label & box. We have a USA draw for one registered reader. You must register here. To be eligible please leave a comment on what you enjoyed about Hernando’s review of Kelly and Jones Mezcal Flora. The draw closes on 9/6//2023 and the winner will be announced within 10 days later.
Kelly+Jones fragrances can be purchased through her website or through many retailers listed under About – Where to Buy.
Programa Vaca Group
Editor’s Note: For Kelly, the most beautiful aspect of the story of mezcal is its link to the culture of Oaxaca, and Mexico – the indigenous history of the spirit, the spiritual and religious influences in its creation, and the families working to keep their traditions alive. So she will donate a portion of every Mezcal Flora Eau de Parfum sale to Programa Vaca, the Mexico-based organization that is helping to rebuild the country’s earthquake-affected rural areas with sustainable architecture and natural materials, for long-term, positive human impact. Viva!
Please enjoy Hernando’s review of Riesling Reserve
Please enjoy Rachel K. Ng’s review of Chardonnay Reserve
For more on the Mezcal Collection Hernando Courtright’s Behind the Bottle here
Kelly and Jones were featured in Video Contributor Steven Gavrielatos’ Holiday 2022 Video
Please read Kelly Jones’s Profiles in American Perfumery here
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