Agave de Cortes Anejo

Item: Agave de Cortes Anejo
Rating: 3.0
Author: The Editors

Middle-of-the-añejo-road

Score: 3.0/5 agaves

Producer: Agave de Cortes
Maestro: Francisco Cortes Hernandez, Leoncio Santiago
Region: Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca
Agave: Espadin
ABV: 43%
Price: $50 ($)

Verdict

A fair mezcal añejo. The middle aging tier in Agave de Cortes's range sits in the competent-but-unmemorable zone, the oak has more time to work than on the reposado but less than on the extra añejo, and the result is a bottle that reads as halfway between the two ends rather than as a distinct release. At 43% the base carries the oak without being subsumed. No consensus recorded; we score it 3. The extra añejo is the Agave de Cortes to buy.

Decent añejo. Unexciting

Tasting notes

Nose: Oak, vanilla, faint smoke

Palate: The aging adds competence without character at 43%

Finish: Warm, oaky

The bottom line

The extra añejo is the Agave de Cortes to buy