Reviews / Koch Madrecuishe
Review · · by The Editors
Koch Madrecuishe
Madrecuishe at the accessible end – a gateway bottle for a demanding agave
Score: 3.5/5 agaves
- Producer: Koch Mezcal
- Maestro: Pedro Hernandez
- Region: San Baltazar Guélavila, Oaxaca
- Agave: Madrecuishe
- ABV: 47%
- Price: $60 ($$)
Verdict
Koch's madrecuishe is a legitimate, lower-proof expression of an agave that usually demands more structural support. At this proof you hear the karwinskii signature clearly but the density you'd expect at 50%+ simply isn't there. Consensus 3.6 reads right. Fine as a first madrecuishe; once your palate is calibrated you'll want the Mezcalosfera or Vago bottlings for the full expression.
A lighter-weight madrecuishe – some drinkers will prefer it as a category introduction
Tasting notes
Nose: Dark honey, then hot slate, warm earth
Palate: The madrecuishe signature is present but softened – 47% is modest for an agave that typically wants 50%+, and the texture shows it. What you get here is the shape of madrecuishe at half-volume
Finish: Mineral, warm, with a slow earth fade
The bottom line
The training-wheels madrecuishe. Graduate when ready