Reviews / Mal de Amor Barril
Review · · by The Editors
Mal de Amor Barril
Matatlán barril at 45% – below the karwinskii ceiling it deserves
Score: 3.0/5 agaves
- Producer: Mal de Amor Mezcal
- Maestro: Alvaro Hernandez, Armando Hernandez Lorenzo
- Region: Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca
- Agave: Barril
- ABV: 45%
- Price: $70 ($$)
Verdict
Barril and its karwinskii cousins pretty much all want to live above 47%. Alvaro and Armando Hernández Lorenzo's Matatlán barril at 45% drinks fine but never asserts itself – the karwinskii signature thins, the mid-palate drifts. Pass and reach for a Mal Bien karwinskii at proof-appropriate ABV instead.
Barril needs more voltage than 45%
Tasting notes
Nose: Green pepper walks in first. Then wet earth, faint herb, soft smoke
Palate: 45% of copper-pulled karwinskii barril – the agave's dry mineral drive is there but muted, the Matatlán character rounds without much lift
Finish: Soft, fades
The bottom line
A pass. Barril at 45% loses the argument
Where to buy online
We found this bottle at 4 US retailers. Prices and stock vary – click through to check.