Reviews / Mal de Amor Tepextate / Cuishe

Review · · by The Editors

Mal de Amor Tepextate / Cuishe

Matatlán tepextate-cuishe – a blend that finds its footing

Score: 4.0/5 agaves

Mal de Amor Tepextate / Cuishe bottle
  • Producer: Mal de Amor Mezcal
  • Maestro: Alvaro Hernandez, Armando Hernandez Lorenzo
  • Region: Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca
  • Agave: Cuishe, Tepextate
  • ABV: 45%
  • Price: $70 ($$)

Verdict

The same producers behind the disappointing barril hit a completely different register with this tepextate-cuishe blend. At 45% it should feel underproofed, but the blend architecture compensates – florals from marmorata over karwinskii mineral, every element earning its place. A credible Matatlán ensamble that argues for the blend-over-proof approach.

An ensamble that understands what its two agaves are for

Tasting notes

Nose: White flower with wet stone, cooked melon

Palate: 45% of a two-karwinskii-marmorata blend – the Hernández Lorenzo brothers' blend hits above its proof because the marmorata's florals and the cuishe's dryness balance each other into a single coherent shape

Finish: Dry, floral-mineral – long

The bottom line

A smart ensamble at honest proof

Where to buy online

We found this bottle at 3 US retailers. Prices and stock vary – click through to check.

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