Reviews / Mal Bien Jabali
Review · · by The Editors
Mal Bien Jabali
Another tough wild agave, another Mal Bien bottle that refuses to smooth it
Score: 4.0/5 agaves
- Producer: Mal Bien
- Maestro: Chucho Sanchez, Poncho Sanchez
- Region: San Baltazar Chichicapam, Oaxaca
- Agave: Jabali
- ABV: 50%
- Price: $150 ($$)
Verdict
Mal Bien's jabalí is a credible counterpoint to Rey Campero's benchmark, less sweet, more mineral, more challenging, and legibly a producer choice rather than a market compromise. The two jabalís side by side are a category education on how different maestros can render the same difficult agave in legibly different registers. Consensus 3.8 is close.
Mal Bien's jabalí is what producers who compete with Rey Campero have to do
Tasting notes
Nose: Hot stone, green pepper, herbal depth
Palate: Lean and structural at 50% – the jabalí's complexity forward, the producer's discipline holding it together without sanding off the agave's characteristic difficulty. Drier and more mineral than Rey Campero's benchmark; the two bottles argue different cases
Finish: Drying, chalky, with a slow herb fade, very long
The bottom line
An excellent jabalí with an acquired-taste profile. Pair with Rey Campero for the comparison
Where to buy online
We found this bottle at 1 US retailer. Prices and stock vary – click through to check.