Reviews / Del Maguey Barril
Review · · by The Editors
Del Maguey Barril
A serviceable barril from a producer whose barril isn't the reason you buy from them
Score: 3.5/5 agaves
- Producer: Del Maguey Mezcal
- Maestro: Florencio Carlos Sarmiento, Florencio Carlos Vasquez
- Region: Santa Catarina Minas, Oaxaca
- Agave: Barril
- ABV: 49%
- Price: $70 ($$)
Verdict
Del Maguey's barril is legitimate work that doesn't quite distinguish itself in a category where other producers (Real Minero, El Jolgorio, Koch's olla-de-barro) have set clearer benchmarks. The Del Maguey house style rounds off the agave's edges in ways that serve the range's broader single-village espadíns but leave barril feeling softer than the agave wants to be. Consensus 3.7 reads accurate, this is a fine bottle, not a destination one. The Del Maguey villages are where the brand earns its premium.
Competent barril in a portfolio that has better reasons to exist
Tasting notes
Nose: Warm earth, then cooked agave, faint smoke, a light leather undertone
Palate: Medium-dense at 49% – barril's signature weight is there but softened relative to the reference bottlings (Real Minero's barril drinks with more gravity)
Finish: Drying, warm – long
The bottom line
Pass in favor of Real Minero Barril at similar money
Where to buy online
We found this bottle at 1 US retailer. Prices and stock vary – click through to check.