Reviews / Mala Mia Coyote

Review · · by The Editors

Mala Mia Coyote

Matatlán coyote at 44%. A rare agave with an underwhelming bottle

Score: 3.0/5 agaves

Mala Mia Coyote bottle
  • Producer: Mala Mia Mezcal
  • Maestro: Saturnino Martínez Méndez
  • Region: Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca
  • Agave: Coyote
  • ABV: 44%
  • Price: $70 ($$)

Verdict

Coyote (agave Lyoba) is a rare wild-agave release worth seeking out in principle; this Mala Mía bottle doesn't make the case. At 44% there isn't enough voltage to bring out the agave's particular specificity, and Matatlán's copper-still idiom softens what's left. A rare-agave bottle for completists only. Pass otherwise.

Coyote needs more room than 44% gives it

Tasting notes

Nose: Wet earth, then green pepper, faint floral, light smoke

Palate: 44% of copper-pulled coyote (Lyoba) – Saturnino Martínez Méndez's cut reads clean but the proof isn't enough to bring the coyote's wild character forward, the bottle drinks like an espadín with some savory depth added

Finish: Dry, soft. Medium

The bottom line

A rare-agave curiosity, not a keeper

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