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Agave de Cortes Joven

Agave de Cortes Joven was made with agave Espadin in Santiago Matatlan. Unlike the Reposado, Anejo, and Extra Anejo, this mezcal is unaged.

Rating: (9 reviews)
Brand:Agave de Cortes
NOM:NOM-O98X
Mezcalero:Francisco Cortes Hernandez, Leoncio Santiago
Maguey:Espadin
Agave:Angustifolia
Distillation:Copper
Style:Joven
State:Oaxaca
Town:Santiago Matatlán
ABV: 45%
Age of plant: 8-10 years
Website: https://casacortes.mx/, opens in new window

About this mezcal

Agave de Cortes Joven was made with 100% agave Espadin. It was traditionally produced by mezcalero Leoncio Santiago with a copper still in Santiago Matatlan. It entered the market in 2015 at 43% ABV, but Casa Cortes changed that to 45% ABV back in 2016. This was the first release from the Cortes family that used cultivated Espadin. Given the success of the Nuestra Soledad brand, which also uses cultivated agave Espadin, the Agave de Cortes Joven mezcal is no longer produced at the same frequency as in previous years.

Agave de Cortes

The Cortes family has been producing, packing, and trading mezcal in Santiago Matatlan for five generations. They own and operate the restaurant and mezcaleria known as Mezcalogia in Central Oaxaca City, and they also produce and curate the brands Nuestra Soledad and El Jolgorio

Member rating

3 out of 5

9 reviews

tallchad

tallchad

122 reviews
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars4 weeks ago

Very light—middle of the road—aroma, taste, and finish.
Aroma is fairly plain….mostly smoke, some light sweetness.
The taste follows suit and not a lot going on except some decent smoke. There is a hint of peppermint on the backend. As it sat, there might even be some band aid (a clean one).
Finnish is ok, but does not bring anything new.
This is a good mezcal for newbies.
Produced in 2022, Edition 141. 45%

After finishing my review, AndrewF says it’s “aggressively average”….that is a great descriptor here.

Very light—middle of the road—aroma, taste, and finish.
Aroma is fairly plain….mostly smoke, some light sweetness.
The taste follows suit and not a lot going on except some decent smoke. There is a hint of peppermint on the backend. As it sat, there might even be some band aid (a clean one).
Finnish is ok, but does not bring anything new.
This is a good mezcal for newbies.
Produced in 2022, Edition 141. 45%
After finishing my review, AndrewF says it’s “aggressively average”….tha

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copa llena

copa llena

13 reviews
Rated 3 out of 5 stars10 months ago

From the Cortes family of mezcals, Casa Cortes Espadin is a solid cocktail option, well priced with a sweet fruit and floral flavor profile, and medium smoke, and mild heat.

Forpowder

Forpowder

109 reviews
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars1 year ago

2021 edition 109 bot# 915/2300 batch FCHES130920ACJ 45% Aromas out of the bottle are simple alcohol with a green overtone pretty light overall. Flavors have a sweet almost bourbon like quality to it with some cinnamon and green overtones very smooth clean finish no smoke. Incredibly mouth coating finish with lasting candy sweetness. This bottle has aired out some and has become even sweeter and smoother not bad for the price.

jmehrk35

jmehrk35

46 reviews
Rated 3 out of 5 stars2 years ago

Produced in 2018
Edition 67
Batch LSHES210818ACJ
Bottle 3275/3500
45% ABV
Very slight prickle on the initial inhale.
Mild aroma of cooked agave and melon followed by honeysuckle.
Watery with sufficient alcohol and drying initial mouth feel.
Flavor is mild all around. Cooked agave, light eucalyptus and cinnamon flavor are most noticeable. Some olive brine on the retro nasal. Very light smoke.
A good beginner mezcal, and holds up in cocktails (I made it in a mezcal ranch water).

Produced in 2018
Edition 67
Batch LSHES210818ACJ
Bottle 3275/3500
45% ABV
Very slight prickle on the initial inhale.
Mild aroma of cooked agave and melon followed by honeysuckle.
Watery with sufficient alcohol and drying initial mouth feel.
Flavor is mild all around. Cooked agave, light eucalyptus and cinnamon flavor are most noticeable. Some olive brine on the retro nasal. Very light smoke.
A good beginner mezcal, and holds up in cocktails (I made it in a mezcal ranch water).

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CMWest

CMWest

4 reviews
Rated 3 out of 5 stars4 years ago

A bottle with simple flavors that aren’t too aggressive. Not a lot going on, but it won’t disappoint. A solid choice for inexpensive cocktails.

Cy Bister

Cy Bister

26 reviews
Rated 3 out of 5 stars4 years ago

Not much going on aroma-wise, very mild river stone and agave. Taste is quite mild with a decent spicy heat on the finish. Hard to really separate out any flavors, though it’s definitely a pleasant drink. Best summed up as a decent semi-sweet, non-smoky mescal. Nothing more, nothing less.

Mansson

Mansson

71 reviews
Rated 3 out of 5 stars5 years ago

Edition 13, distilled 2014. This is a middle-of-the-road mezcal, but well made. Nothing stands out: no aggressive smoke, not overly sweet. I assume this is targeted at the cocktail scene and for that it works very well. Probably also a good choice for people new to mezcal.

AndrewF

AndrewF

3 reviews
Rated 3 out of 5 stars6 years ago

Aggressively average: nothing to hate, nothing to love. Interesting mix of light, dry notes too ephemeral to name, weirdly similar to dry French sauv blancs. Soft smoke. Servicable, but I’d go elsewhere at this price point.

Jonny

Jonny

728 reviews
Rated 3 out of 5 stars7 years ago

Edition 20 from 2016. This doesn’t have many strong aromas. Slight hints of rose. This is very light on the palate. It’s dry with notes of green grapes and olive oil. This probably best used as a mixer.

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