Reviews / Marca Negra Ensamble
Review · · by The Editors
Marca Negra Ensamble
Five-agave Marca Negra blend – distributed, decent, not definitive
Score: 3.5/5 agaves
- Producer: Marca Negra Mezcal
- Maestro: Alberto Ortiz, Basilio Pacheco
- Region: Ejutla, Santa Maria La Pila, Oaxaca
- Agave: Bicuishe, Espadin, Madrecuishe, Mexicano, San Martinero
- ABV: 48%
- Price: $65 ($$)
Verdict
Five-agave ensambles at scale usually drink pleasant rather than pointed, and Marca Negra's is the category standard, clean, well-proofed, expertly blended, but without the specific composition that makes the Cortés three-agave Mal Bien ensamble sing. Buy if you want a wide-distribution ensamble with real proof; skip if you can find the Cortés bottle.
An ensamble engineered for consistency
Tasting notes
Nose: Green note over cooked agave, pepper, mineral, faint floral, warm smoke
Palate: 48-50% of Alberto Ortiz and Basilio Pacheco's five-agave ensamble, each element audible, none particularly dominant, a well-made blend that reads pleasant-commercial rather than revelatory
Finish: Dry, slightly generic. Long
The bottom line
A reliable ensamble. Others are pointier