Maguey Melate Arroqueno from Rosario Ángeles Vasquéz was produced in the beautiful community of Santa Catarina Minas, Oaxaca.
About this destilado de agave
Maguey Melate Arroqueno from Rosario Ángeles Vasquéz was originally released as the March 2021 Mezcalero of the Month Club agave spirit. This spirit was produced in the community of Santa Catarina Minas, Oaxaca. The maguey Arroqueno used to produce this mezcal were harvested by mezcalero Semei Garcia Ramos in Miahuatlan. The agaves were crushed by hand with wooden clubs and distilled in small clay pots.
Maguey Melate
Maguey Melate was founded on two ideas: 1) Artisanal agave spirits are amazing and should be shared with the world, and 2) The faster-cheaper economy is a harmful force for people, the environment, and now agave spirits.
They believe if mezcal (and agave spirits) can be understood and appreciated at its full potential, people will show their preference for quality artisanal mezcal that is sustainably and fairly sourced. By raising consumer consciousness on the origins of mezcal and educating enthusiasts on matters of quality and character, informed people will be empowered to ensure the future of mezcal. To do this, they’re reaching a large audience with an impactful message: KEEP MEZCAL ARTISANAL!
Maguey Melate is perhaps most well-known for their Mezcalero of the Month Club, which delivers artisanal small-batch agave spirits directly to the doors of consumers in the US and Mexico. In addition to the monthly spirits, they offer exclusive content and interviews with producers. Single releases are also available in the Maguey Melate shop.
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Ben P
110 reviewsNose: oh yeah this is definitely clay pot, tons of fig newton, fudge, tomato based sweet bbq sauce, ketchup
Palate: mmm nice earth, dried dates, soil, dark cocoa, orange marmalade, moving to the finish is mesquite spice. Minerality persist as a foundation through the finish as I get some nice Burnt ends. Finish is crispy burnt ends, carnitas, charred orange, more soil
A solid and enjoyable clay pot Arroqueno. I dig it more and more as I sip.
James Christian
45 reviewsIf I had reviewed this when I opened it, I would have given it a 4.5. Not so much now.
Bottle 221 – lot GRE-ENS-001
Just tasted this again a year later. 375ml bottle half way through.
WOW, much of that magical raw clay, BBQ and bright lime has disappeared, only to be replaced by a darkish lactic stewed funk. I truly think this was a special mezcal, but perhaps it needs to be consumed immediately. – Which is odd because I usually love Rosaria’s bottles.
If I had reviewed this when I opened it, I would have given it a 4.5. Not so much now.
Bottle 221 – lot GRE-ENS-001
Just tasted this again a year later. 375ml bottle half way through.
WOW, much of that magical raw clay, BBQ and bright lime has disappeared, only to be replaced by a darkish lactic stewed funk. I truly think this was a special mezcal, but perhaps it needs to be consumed immediately. – Which is odd because I usually love Rosaria’s bottles.
gonzalezjr21
10 reviewsMaguey Melate
340 liters produced November 2020
ROS-ARO-001 Bottle #586
49.8%
Lots of funk going on here. Love it! Clay pot distilled goodness. Savory, buttery, sweet, smoky (in a great way) some bit of tanginess. Not a big arroqueno fan but this is good!
RyeAmLegend
37 reviewsBatch: ROS-ARR-001 Bottle #210
Butter/Cream on the nose. Pepper and paprika. Fried rice/peanuts. Oyster sauce. Sweet banana peppers.
Mild lactic note like warm cream cheese on the palate. Very green and raw flavors. A bit of an allspice note. Weird tinge of off-flavor citrus. Like a sweet lime artificial flavor. Wet hay. Mild leather. Slightly salty.
Very herbal and grassy finish. Nice dry flavor without the dry texture. Like sparking mineral water carbonation. Very pleasant finish. Heavy on dried tea notes.
A fun bottle that I really rather enjoy. Some say the clay takes it too far into the funky but I really like exploring this bottle. For me the salinity and lactic notes push this high on my list.
Batch: ROS-ARR-001 Bottle #210
Butter/Cream on the nose. Pepper and paprika. Fried rice/peanuts. Oyster sauce. Sweet banana peppers.
Mild lactic note like warm cream cheese on the palate. Very green and raw flavors. A bit of an allspice note. Weird tinge of off-flavor citrus. Like a sweet lime artificial flavor. Wet hay. Mild leather. Slightly salty.
Very herbal and grassy finish. Nice dry flavor without the dry texture. Like sparking mineral water carbonation. Very pleasant finish. Heavy on dri
zeepuzzler
25 reviewsBatch: ROS-ARR-01. Bottle 85.
Oof. I love this. And it’s just as funky as the others say. Zack nailed it on the sour rice pudding aroma, and I can pick out all the individual ingredients: coconut milk, vanilla, Ceylon cinnamon, and slightly fermented rice. I also get fried egg, rubber cement, and powdered donuts on the nose. The palate is delightful! Flavors of raw brownie dough, molasses, salty-sweet hickory barbecue chicken, unfired clay, black pepper, and chalk. The finish is intensely chocolatey at first, reminding me of boxed chocolate milk from grade school, before it mellows into allspice, 7UP, orange pith, and white wood ash.
Batch: ROS-ARR-01. Bottle 85.
Oof. I love this. And it’s just as funky as the others say. Zack nailed it on the sour rice pudding aroma, and I can pick out all the individual ingredients: coconut milk, vanilla, Ceylon cinnamon, and slightly fermented rice. I also get fried egg, rubber cement, and powdered donuts on the nose. The palate is delightful! Flavors of raw brownie dough, molasses, salty-sweet hickory barbecue chicken, unfired clay, black pepper, and chalk. The finish is int
James
9 reviewsROS-ARR-001 – Super funky nose on this one, savory, cheesy, smoky, barn, a bit floral, a little rubber. Strong clay and ash flavor is somewhat overpowering, dark chocolate and spice, musty. This one is a bit muddled for me on the palate, but it’s bold and enjoyable.
t8ke
144 reviewsPowerful savory palate – cream, cheese, clay, a bit of ash and some musty sweetness. Lots of pepper, bit more orange peel. Fuuuuuuuunky.
This is all over the place – in a good way. Powerful, musty, funky, savory, smoky. Lovely.
Zack Klamn
542 reviewsNose – Rose water. Definitely a whiff of sweet funkiness… like a sour rice pudding.
Palate – Salt lick, ethanol heat and smoke-heavy to start and they manage to linger the whole way through (along with the funk from the nose). Undertones of 7up soda, dark chocolate and rose petal. This has great complexity and potential but it’s in the background.
tallchad
103 reviewsI love that she is a new mezcalera. Good stuff too!
Aroma is interesting with “clay funk” (thanks El Dawg for that description) but also lime zest, spicy peppers and maybe cream cheese. Taste is fairly hot with some earthy barn flavors and pepper. It finishes nicely with more lime zest from the aroma. Overall good stuff.
hutter
6 reviewsInteresting. The nose reminds me of baiju. Funky smoky pears. Chewing tobacco. A lot of ash and clay on the palate. Spicy finish
Jonny
705 reviewsIt’s always great to taste something from a new (to me) producer in Minas. This one has all the “classic” Minas characteristics and doesn’t disappoint on any of those. It’s a bit sour on the nose, with some hints of unripe fruits and fresh flowers. The palate is dripping wet and a bit clay-heavy for me. I typically love clay pot distillations, but sometimes the clay overpowers the agave flavors, and I feel there’s a bit of that happening here. That said, this still has a lot of subtle complexities and it’s very soft and enjoyable.
It’s always great to taste something from a new (to me) producer in Minas. This one has all the “classic” Minas characteristics and doesn’t disappoint on any of those. It’s a bit sour on the nose, with some hints of unripe fruits and fresh flowers. The palate is dripping wet and a bit clay-heavy for me. I typically love clay pot distillations, but sometimes the clay overpowers the agave flavors, and I feel there’s a bit of that happening here. That said, this
Maiapal
7 reviewsNose: Thick, fruity, complex
Taste: Nice sweetness, hint of mineral, faint hint of pineapple, medium finish. This has jumped to the front as a top tier favorite!
Gregg T&T
100 reviewsMusty and organic nose – the clay pot is making its presence. Nose is overripe berries with chocolate notes. Steamed greens, all spice and peppercorns on the palate.
JDB
165 reviewsWhat a fabulous Arroqueño, much sweeter than others I have had, smoother, and lots of beautiful chalk and earth notes. Changed a bit from when I first opened the bottle where there was more fruit and herbal notes. A bit of caramel and dark honey.
El-Dawg
209 reviewsPeople seem to love this one, but it’s not for me.
Leather and clay funk dominate the smell, and carries over to the taste. There’s some burnt rubber in there, with some pleasant sweetness, (but not enough), BBQ, saltiness. Overall I feel like the clay distillation on this one is not balanced out as well as it could be (but I seem to be in a minority here, so hey…).
Update: it has gotten better with some oxygen as I’ve had the bottle open longer, so I would bump this up more to a 3.5.
People seem to love this one, but it’s not for me.
Leather and clay funk dominate the smell, and carries over to the taste. There’s some burnt rubber in there, with some pleasant sweetness, (but not enough), BBQ, saltiness. Overall I feel like the clay distillation on this one is not balanced out as well as it could be (but I seem to be in a minority here, so hey…).
Update: it has gotten better with some oxygen as I’ve had the bottle open longer, so I would bump this up
donpedro
39 reviewsWow, super floral and sweet on the nose. A bit of cinnamon salt water taffy aroma. Huge mesquite, BBQ flavors on the palate. Some citrus elements hiding in the background. Salty and sweet with mouthwatering acidity.
Azi
40 reviewsWOW.
Savory, charcoal, BBQ, smoked poultry. Bbq pringles, BBQ potato chips. Will have to revisit this to pull out some more, but just wow on this level of smokey savory while still being clean!
Rakhal
421 reviewsSo savory and chocolaty! Sage turkey stuffing, Bbq sauce, cinnamon, Mexican hot chocolate out of a raw clay mug, with a lime-aid refreshing finish. I put this in a blind tasting against other Minas Mezcaleros including Lalo and Conejo and surprisingly to me it came out on top!! I have to visit this Mezcalera next time I’m in Minas!!
GreenspointTexas
385 reviewsI peeked. I couldnt help it. The label art got to me. Very flowery pour. Rose hips, lavender, lilac. Lemon lime sprite with some minerality to finish. Solid