Reviews / Maguey Melate Arroqueno - Nazario Salas Rosas
Review · · by The Editors
Maguey Melate Arroqueno - Nazario Salas Rosas
Puebla arroqueño that argues the state deserves more shelf space
Score: 4.0/5 agaves
- Producer: Maguey Melate
- Maestro: Nazario Salas Rosas
- Region: San Miguel Atlapulco, Puebla
- Agave: Arroqueño
- ABV: 46.7%
- Price: $70 ($$)
Verdict
Oaxaca doesn't own arroqueño. Nazario Salas Rosas makes the Puebla case with a bottle that holds its own next to the Rey Campero benchmark – less sweet, more structural. Hunt this if your arroqueño reference points are all Candelaria Yegolé. The Mezcalero of the Month Club picked right.
Puebla arroqueño reads differently – sharper, drier, worth seeking
Tasting notes
Nose: Dark honey, then cracked pepper, roasted stone fruit, damp wood
Palate: Nazario Salas Rosas distills at 46.7% and the arroqueño's dense, slow-cooked character lands with real presence – the Puebla terroir adds a dryness Oaxaca arroqueños don't quite have
Finish: Warming, tannic – long
The bottom line
Commit if you've been reading arroqueño as an Oaxaca-only agave