Reviews / Ilegal Anejo

Review · · by The Editors

Ilegal Anejo

The most convincing bottle in a line built on marketing

Score: 3.0/5 agaves

Ilegal Anejo bottle
  • Producer: Ilegal Mezcal
  • Maestro: Alvaro Hernandez, Armando Hernandez Lorenzo, Eric Hernandez
  • Region: Tlacolula, Oaxaca
  • Agave: Espadin
  • ABV: 40%
  • Price: $92 ($$)

Verdict

Ilegal's añejo is the bottle where the time in barrel does meaningful work, the lower-proof joven and reposado don't have enough structure for the aging to build on, but the añejo reads coherently. It's still a bottle bought for the label more than the liquid.

Aging can flatter a commercial base more than it should

Tasting notes

Nose: Oak, vanilla, dried fruit, soft smoke

Palate: The añejo aging fills in the commercial core, rounder, more textured, more forgiving at 40%

Finish: Warm, oaky

The bottom line

The best Ilegal by a margin. Still not what we'd buy at the price

Where to buy online

We found this bottle at 5 US retailers. Prices and stock vary – click through to check.

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