Maguey Melate Barril from Jaime Reyes Morales was originally released as the September 2022 Mezcalero of the Month Club agave spirit.
About this destilado de agave
Maguey Melate Barril from Jaime Reyes Morales was originally released as the September 2022 Mezcalero of the Month Club agave spirit. The palenque where this mezcal was produced is located in a remote region of Ejutla, Oaxaca. It’s about 45 minutes from centro, on the boarder of Sola de Vega. Jaime is a “tuna” farmer. The “tuna” is the prickly pear that grows on the top of the cactus in this region and his palenque is surrounded by hundreds of clusters that he harvests every September and October. Batch JAI-BAR-001 was fermented with open air yeasts during the “tuna” bloom in October 2020.
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.
Review this bottle
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tallchad
93 reviewsOne of my favorites from MM so far. The body and finish of this one makes a near perfect balanced mezcal. There’s pepper, a burst of agave with wonderful heat. Initial light floral. Finishes very nice and long. Great balance between earthy and sweet.
JDB
130 reviewsBottle 408, ABV: 58.9%
Evergreen trees on the nose, lots of good heat on the palate, finishes with an apple sweetness (think gala or honey crisp) and fresh mint. Flavors linger for a good long while too. Some days you want a 750 of these maguey melate offerings, but with a high abv, you can get into trouble really quickly, so maybe it is a good thing to hang around at 375!
Tyler
621 reviewsA strong mezcal full of flavor. Most of the heat sits in your mouth and doesn’t burn or anything. Red apple skins and brown sugar. Sipped during a Maguey Melate Zoom tasting and the note of chiles stuck – I’m getting some cooked sweet chile notes too. This is a savory Karwinskii mezcal with a bit of a dry finish but not dry flavor notes. JAI-BAR-001.
Manning
22 reviewsJAI-BAR-001. 58.9% abv.
Wow, for a nearly 60% mezcal, this drinks like 40% but with sooo much flavor. Incredible complexity in this one with so many different dessert qualities like baked bread, vanilla cupcakes with sprinkles, apple cake, sugar cookies, etc. But the bakery sweetness is nicely balanced with herbal, woody, ginger, mint, and green pepper. This is a banger of a mezcal. Maguey Melate hit this one out of the park. 9+/10
GreenspointTexas
385 reviewsEnjoyed it. Would buy again
El-Dawg
190 reviewsThis bottle is almost gone….how is this thing almost 59%?!? Delicious karwinskii notes…creamy, woody, vanilla, frosting cake. Sweet and savory. And all around banger of a mezcal.
JRock
5 reviewsJai-Bar-001
First tasting:
Sweet and sour, malt vinegar and eucalyptus bark on the nose and sugar/caramel on the tongue.. Then the next wave of flavors came on; the syrupy sauce of a good apple pie, with a bit of salinity. Impressively smooth considering the abv%.
Looking forwards to the second tasting to see what else comes to mind.
exileonmorrison
10 reviewsJAI-BAR-001. The nose is surprisingly warm and inviting; it smells of fresh, sweet sticky buns and has no indication of being 58.9% ABV. When it hits the tongue, again, the expected heat is not there. It’s all candied brown sugar, ginger, and hints of cinnamon. It’s easily the most remarkable high proof spirit I’ve ever tasted.
Zack Klamn
522 reviewsBatch: JAI-BAR-001
Nose – Baked sour apples. Melted brown sugar. Somewhat dusty. Nice aromas.
Palate – HUGE bran muffin and warm butter notes – wow! A cinnamon stick lick. Fresh dates. Pinker watermelon closer to the rind. This does not nearly have the heat of a 59% mezcal – I’d ballpark heat-wise in the high 40’s. Full flavor and seemingly very complex – fantastic stuff.
Rakhal
404 reviewsJAI-BAR-001. This is my third time tasting this Barril and I love it more and more!! It reminds me of all things sweet, dark, and sticky. It’s decadent. Brown sugar, nutmeg, peat, brûléed sugar, hot dark chocolate fudge, table salt, dark chocolate mousse, and a Peppermint Altoids finish. Damn this is tasty!
Jonny
671 reviewsJAI-BAR-001. Strong aromas. A little malty on the nose with some notes of bran and cake. Additional aromas of leafy greens, dry pine needles, cranberries, figs, and dates. The palate has some heat but not in a way that it gets in the way of the flavor. It’s there for sure, but the payout on the flavor is worth the little burn. Notes of cognac, nutmeg, hickory, butter, brown sugar, iodine, salt, lead, and honeydew melon. This thing is all over the place with the flavor notes really tightly packed. This seems to change quite a bit the longer it sits in the glass. I’m really enjoying this one a lot.
JAI-BAR-001. Strong aromas. A little malty on the nose with some notes of bran and cake. Additional aromas of leafy greens, dry pine needles, cranberries, figs, and dates. The palate has some heat but not in a way that it gets in the way of the flavor. It’s there for sure, but the payout on the flavor is worth the little burn. Notes of cognac, nutmeg, hickory, butter, brown sugar, iodine, salt, lead, and honeydew melon. This thing is all over the place with the flavor notes really tightly