Reviews / Mala Mia Ensamble
Review · · by The Editors
Mala Mia Ensamble
A three-agave ensamble at 42% – restraint that reads as absence
Score: 3.0/5 agaves
- Producer: Mala Mia Mezcal
- Maestro: Saturnino Martínez Méndez
- Region: Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca
- Agave: Cuishe, Espadin, Tepextate
- ABV: 42%
- Price: $70 ($$)
Verdict
Ensamble done at commercial ABV is a specific kind of trade-off – the producer hopes the blend will compensate for what proof doesn't deliver. In this case the math doesn't work: tepextate needs 48%, cuishe at least 47%, and 42% leaves both voiceless. Pass and buy the Mal de Amor tepextate-cuishe at 45% if you want an approachable Matatlán ensamble; it does more with the same idea.
Three agaves, not enough voltage for any of them
Tasting notes
Nose: A light herb, faint pepper, soft floral
Palate: 42% of cuishe-espadín-tepextate blend – the lowest-proof ensamble on this table, and the lowest-voltage agave signatures follow suit, especially the tepextate which disappears into the blend
Finish: Soft, short. Medium
The bottom line
Skip. Ensamble at commercial proof loses the blend
Where to buy online
We found this bottle at 1 US retailer. Prices and stock vary – click through to check.
- Total Wine – $79