Ilegal Joven is ideal for cocktails and perfect to be sipped on its own. It has deep agave aromas, and hints of green apple, citrus and white pepper.
About this mezcal
Ilegal Joven is unaged, which sets it apart from Ilegal reposado and Ilegal anejo which are aged. It has deep agave aromas, and hints of green apple, citrus and white pepper. There is a lingering heat and sweet agave feel. This Mezcal is ideal for cocktails and perfect to be sipped on its own.
Ilegal Mezcal
Ilegal Mezcal was founded by John Rexer, who began smuggling this product to his Bar, Cafe No Se, in Antigua, Guatemala. Ilegal Mezcal launched in 2005, and the brand has grown substantially in recent years. Though Eric Hernandez was originally involved in the distillation, Ilegal Mezcal was most recently produced by Alvaro and Armando Hernandez.
The company had a very successful marketing campaign around the phrase “Donald eres un Pendejo” in 2016 for the US election. Bacardi purchased an undisclosed amount of minority shares in the company in February of 2017. In September 2023, Bacardi took full ownership in Ilegal for an undisclosed sum.
Review: Ilegal Mezcal on Drinkhacker
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Wanderingspider
55 reviewsI’ve had this a few times now. It’ll pass as a base spirit for cocktails but I wouldn’t use the joven for sipping at all, especially if you are really into well crafted mezcals
MezcalAficionado24
1 reviewTried this once at a friends. The taste profile is really generic and kind of on the cheap side when it came to their production( from the taste). Typical smoky well mezcal. Wouldn’t buy or use this as a sipper. Can be good for cocktails. Not very well balanced as they claim to be. Their reposado is pretty good though.
Mansson
71 reviewsLot 06. Very soft and neutral, not much smoke. The typical agave sweetness is dominating; there isn’t much else. In fact, the lack of complexity makes the aftertaste rather too sweet for me. A good mixer but not much of a sipper. And for a low-proof unremarkable espadín, it isn’t that cheap.
Lurch98
2 reviewsFaintly smoky and mild on the palette. It is a decent option at a reasonable entry point for mixing. People who like repesado tequilas may find this a comfortable transition to mezcal as it is so mild. I find myself wanting more flavor.
AgaveNerd101
7 reviewsMy favorite part of tasting any mezcal is first smelling it and I get little to nothing on the nose here. I would have liked to have gotten an over cooked agave bouquet. Although, the flavor holds up in cocktails if you are looking for a muted amount of smoke. This to me is a good product in the “entry level” category.
Dracarys
3 reviewsIt’s true what they say, don’t judge a book by the cover. Nothing special about this product. The packaging is nice, the price is high, and I’m sure people new to the mezcal world will be tricked into thinking this is a high-end mezcal. It’s my least favorite to date, but I wouldn’t turn it down if offered; it’s still mezcal!
Yocos
7 reviewsClean, lightly Smokey, very pure agave flavors.
GreenspointTexas
385 reviewsMeh.
Mateospirit
8 reviewsThis Mezcal is an exquisite spirit. If I could give half stars I would have rated this 4.5 if possible. Rough and refined at the same time. This is rock and roll to me smoke, energy, sweet vanilla creaminess. This one is great drinking neat at a bonfire with friends and fAmily under the stars and is also equally as good in a mixed drink. This one has a persona. Lite leather lite warming woods. CleAn with just a ghost of earthiness. ?
LosMuertos
33 reviewsNot bad but nothing I would buy again. Nose is very perfumed/floral. Plus agave and mild smoke.
Scent: 2/5
Mouthfeel: 2/5
rsidrys
50 reviewsThis is the second mezcal I ever tried. There’s citrus, mild smoke, and eucalyptus on the nose. Taste has those qualities with the addition of vanilla, almost as though it was barrel aged. The finish fades rather quickly.
I really liked it when I first had it and would have probably given it a 4 at the time, but after experiencing more complex mezcal that lingers on the palate, this one is a bit too “shallow” and short for me. It’s a good option for those who are smoke-averse.
This is the second mezcal I ever tried. There’s citrus, mild smoke, and eucalyptus on the nose. Taste has those qualities with the addition of vanilla, almost as though it was barrel aged. The finish fades rather quickly.
I really liked it when I first had it and would have probably given it a 4 at the time, but after experiencing more complex mezcal that lingers on the palate, this one is a bit too “shallow” and short for me. It’s a good option for those who are smoke-a
JRB
13 reviewsIlegal Joven Mezcal / 80 proof
Tahona milled, copper still. Rather light agave in the front of the palate, then in the back of my throat I get heat and smoke aftertaste – strange finish that I have not noticed with any other mezcal. Not bad, but I really couldn’t get into it. (Lot 36, bottle 2126/7000)
namespayne
9 reviewsFloral, dry fruit, light on smoke, fairly complex and long on the finish. Doesn’t smack you like a 45%-50% abv juice does, but it’s a gem for the price.
razorbackmike
158 reviewsi agree with another review.the repo and anejo are great.this one is good.perfect for an evening opener.its best to have a fresh pallete to enjoy the subtle notes.the nose is mild with agave and baked sugar.the taste is vanilla,agave and mild green pepper.no smoke or deep flavor but is justified by price.nice flavor but is short.good quality and have no problem sipping.can be overshadowed by more complex (and expensive) mezcals.
SeattleMezcalLover
9 reviewsKind of boring. I bought a bottle of this because of good reviews. If smoky mezcals are your thing look elsewhere. This one is is light and at least initially a hair astringent. Also, quite floral but not especially sweet. If light and floral appeal to you it might be a good fit but at least my batch had an astringent quality that no one would desire.
Tyler
643 reviewsThis soft mezcal goes down easy at 40% ABV. Slightly floral on the nose. There are notes of vanilla and pepper. This is a good mezcal to give people new to the spirit who are also not used to drinking liquor neat. It tastes a bit watered down for my taste. Other mezcals do this but manage to retain more complex flavors. This is a decent mezcal to start the night with; if you drink a robust high-ABV mezcal and then return to this you will be disappointed.
Jonny
708 reviewsCitrus and smoky on the nose. Tasting notes of apple and dates. There’s a good amount of fruit in this, but it doesn’t overpower the rich taste of cooked Agave. This mezcal would get three stars as a sipper, as I prefer to sip their Reposado and Anejo. But it gets four stars as a mixer.
3chainz
19 reviewsVery neutral with a smooth finish. 4 stars on value
Sandy
11 reviewsIt burns so good. This full body mezcal definitely lingers in the best way possible.