Reviews / Ilegal 7 Year Añejo

Review · · by The Editors

Ilegal 7 Year Añejo

Seven years of oak won't fix a base built for cocktails

Score: 2.5/5 agaves

Ilegal 7 Year Añejo bottle
  • Producer: Ilegal Mezcal
  • Region: Tlacolula, Oaxaca
  • Agave: Espadin
  • ABV: 41.32%
  • Price: $70 ($)

Verdict

Seven years on a cocktail-grade base produces seven years of oak. The Ilegal house style was built for margaritas; stretching it into a decade-adjacent aged program doesn't reveal what the producer can do, it reveals where the ceiling is. A collector's bottle more than a drinking bottle, which is usually code for 'it doesn't drink well.'

Aging a cocktail mezcal for seven years gives you expensive oak

Tasting notes

Nose: Heavy oak, then vanilla, faint smoke

Palate: The extended aging flattens the Ilegal base to a generic aged spirit at 41.32%

Finish: Oaky. Long

The bottom line

Skip. The Fidencio Single Cask Nation bottles do this better

Where to buy online

We found this bottle at 4 US retailers. Prices and stock vary – click through to check.

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