Reviews / Maltoro Cuishe
Review · · by The Editors
Maltoro Cuishe
Cuishe at 40%. The proof decision says everything
Score: 2.5/5 agaves
- Producer: Maltoro Mezcal
- Maestro: Juan Carlos Mateo
- Region: Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca
- Agave: Cuishe
- ABV: 40%
- Price: $60 ($$)
Verdict
Juan Carlos Mateo's Maltoro cuishe at 40% is an object lesson in commercial-ABV mezcal: the agave is technically present, the liquid is technically mezcal, and neither fact survives contact with the glass. Karwinskii below 47% is rarely right; at 40% it's a decision made somewhere other than the still.
Cuishe at 40% is a category mistake
Tasting notes
Nose: Faint green herb – then soft mineral, quiet cooked agave
Palate: 40% of copper cuishe, the karwinskii signature is barely audible, the bottle drinks thin and sweet-commercial
Finish: Short, soft, fades immediately
The bottom line
Skip. Commercial ABV for a specialty agave