Reviews / Mal Bien Arroqueno - Cortes

Review · · by The Editors

Mal Bien Arroqueno - Cortes

Ageo Cortés' arroqueño – rigorous, specific, and not for everyone

Score: 4.0/5 agaves

Mal Bien Arroqueno - Cortes bottle
  • Producer: Mal Bien
  • Maestro: Ageo Cortés, Felipe Cortés
  • Region: Miahuatlán, Oaxaca
  • Agave: Arroqueño
  • ABV: 51%
  • Price: $68 ($$)

Verdict

Mal Bien's house style is to bottle what other brands would blend away – high proof, single-maestro, specific batches that taste like they were made in a particular week. The arroqueño doesn't compromise, which means a minority of drinkers will love it and the rest will find it rough. We love it.

Mal Bien bottles the uncomfortable choices

Tasting notes

Nose: Hot rock, dark fruit, cured meat, white pepper

Palate: Dense, bitter at the edges, with the arroqueño's weight balanced by a bright mineral core. 51% is assertive

Finish: Drying, warm

The bottom line

High-proof, high-conviction arroqueño. Not for first-time mezcal drinkers

Where to buy online

We found this bottle at 2 US retailers. Prices and stock vary – click through to check.

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