Reviews / Lopez Real Cuishe
Review · · by The Editors
Lopez Real Cuishe
Cuishe at the proof ceiling, not above it
Score: 3.0/5 agaves
- Producer: Lopez Real Mezcal
- Maestro: Antonio Hernandez Lopez
- Region: Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca
- Agave: Cuishe
- ABV: 45%
- Price: $64 ($$)
Verdict
López Real's cuishe is a competent bottling that illustrates the proof-ceiling argument for karwinskii – 45% is where the agave starts to work and the bottle never crosses into the 47-49% zone where cuishe sings. The liquid is honest and the agave is recognizable, but we'd trade up to Real Minero's or 5 Sentidos' cuishe when the budget allows. A shelf pour, not a reference pour.
A cuishe operating just under its capability
Tasting notes
Nose: Green bell pepper, damp soil, a light smoke edge
Palate: The karwinskii signature is legible but not exuberant – 45% sits right at the top of what we'd call the ceiling for this agave. The bottle is clean but reads slightly held-back
Finish: Medium, drying, faintly vegetal
The bottom line
Serviceable cuishe. Reach higher if you're studying the agave
Where to buy online
We found this bottle at 1 US retailer. Prices and stock vary – click through to check.