Reviews / El Samaritano Madrecuishe

Review · · by The Editors

El Samaritano Madrecuishe

Madrecuishe at 47%. The proof is the limit on an agave that asks for more

Score: 3.0/5 agaves

El Samaritano Madrecuishe bottle
  • Producer: El Samaritano Mezcal
  • Maestro: Ambrosio Martinez Blas
  • Region: Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca
  • Agave: Madrecuishe
  • ABV: 47%
  • Price: $70 ($$)

Verdict

47% is the bottleneck – the agave wants 48%+ and the mid-tier keeps deciding not to give it. El Samaritano's madrecuishe is clean, legible, and structurally under-powered for the category. Buy Vago's madrecuishe or Mezcalosfera's at similar money for the agave at the proof it actually needs.

Madrecuishe at 47% is the category's chronic undersell at the mid-tier

Tasting notes

Nose: Dark honey, hot stone, warm earth, mineral damp

Palate: Medium-dense at 47%. Madrecuishe's full weight wants 48-50%; at 47% the character holds but doesn't fully land – you get the silhouette of the agave without its full density

Finish: Long, drying, with a slow earth fade

The bottom line

Fine for category exposure; higher-proof madrecuishes do more

Where to buy online

We found this bottle at 2 US retailers. Prices and stock vary – click through to check.

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