Reviews / Mezcal Ajal Cenizo

Review · · by The Editors

Mezcal Ajal Cenizo

Durango cenizo at 40% – friendly but limited by proof

Score: 3.5/5 agaves

Mezcal Ajal Cenizo bottle
  • Producer: Ajal Mezcal
  • Maestro: Arturo Conde
  • Region: Pino Suárez, Durango
  • Agave: Cenizo
  • ABV: 40%
  • Price: $40 ($$)

Verdict

Ajal's cenizo is a decent gateway to Durango mezcal that suffers from the commercial-friendly proof. Cenizo at 40% is the category's chronic Durango-undersell – the agave needs 44-45%+ to fully express its northern pine-mineral character, and Ajal's bottle delivers a silhouette of what the Derrumbes Durango or Burrito Fiestero at higher proofs make legible. Consensus 4.0 is generous. The Derrumbes Durango at 45% is meaningfully better.

Cenizo at 40% is a missed opportunity

Tasting notes

Nose: Pine, dry hay, warm earth, wildflower

Palate: Lean and northern at 40% – the cenizo character is readable but the proof cuts short

Finish: Cooling, dry – medium

The bottom line

The Derrumbes Durango at 45% is meaningfully better