Mal Bien Jabali is a special release from the Sanchez Altamirano brothers in Chichicapam, Oaxaca. This has a full spectrum of floral, fruit, smoke, and spice flavors
About this destilado de agave
Mal Bien Jabali is produced but the Sanchez Altamirano brothers, who are 4th generation Mezcaleros who learned from their late father Faustino Sanchez. The agave are roasted in 10 ton stone lined pits over oak for 3 days and then rested for another 5 days. After being cooked, they are fed into a wood chipper. The agave fibers are then crushed by the horse drawn tahona. Once crushed, the juice and fibers are fermented in pine tanks for up to 5 days before double distillation on traditional 275 liter copper pot stills.
Mal Bien
Since 2016, the Mal Bien team has been traveling Mexico, driving off the map and into mountains filled with treacherous roads, police officers of questionable moral character, feral dogs, indigenous languages, narcos, ancient relics, machete wielding protestors, insect based meals, mudslides, blockades, corrupt politicians, and many of the world’s kindest, funniest, most brilliant people. In addition to some hard to believe stories, they’ve connected with a wide variety of traditional producers, whose mezcal is now bottled and exported under the Mal Bien name.
Review this bottle
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Zack Klamn
511 reviewsNose – Vanilla cake. Lingering leather.
Palate – Vanilla pudding pop. Fennel. Quite soapy (rose fragranced) in the middle. Burnt grass and a fading floral sweetness in the finish. The menthol aftertaste is long but laced with that rose bath soap note that it can’t shake. A bit rough for what I’m used to from Mal Bien.
10/28/21 Update:
Tried the rest of this sample I had and it was much better. Less menthol and soapy. Pretty nice but still not an all time Jabali.
Nose – Vanilla cake. Lingering leather.
Palate – Vanilla pudding pop. Fennel. Quite soapy (rose fragranced) in the middle. Burnt grass and a fading floral sweetness in the finish. The menthol aftertaste is long but laced with that rose bath soap note that it can’t shake. A bit rough for what I’m used to from Mal Bien.
10/28/21 Update:
Tried the rest of this sample I had and it was much better. Less menthol and soapy. Pretty nice but still not an all time Jabali.
Azi
37 reviewsThis is oh so warm, and very up my alley. green mangoes, fennel seed, sugar cane, cumin, clove. I’m not picking up much on the nose. overall enjoyable and something I wish I had a bit more of
SwatSaladin
19 reviewsBatch 1119HSA. Not getting a whole lot on the nose. Faint lactic influence, with citrus peel and cooling menthol. Hints of pollen and prickly pear, too. The palate gives a little more. It’s heavy on the anise, fennel, with a general ‘spice’ and vegetal profile. The finish is average in length, but surprisingly acrid and bitter. The vegetal notes don’t dry down kindly.
This is, for me, is a below-average Jabali and a below-average Mal Bien. It’s not very aromatic, which wouldn’t be an issue if the palate was a little more expressive; unfortunately, it’s fairly one dimensional in its anise and vegetal bent. And the finish really leaves much to be desired.
Batch 1119HSA. Not getting a whole lot on the nose. Faint lactic influence, with citrus peel and cooling menthol. Hints of pollen and prickly pear, too. The palate gives a little more. It’s heavy on the anise, fennel, with a general ‘spice’ and vegetal profile. The finish is average in length, but surprisingly acrid and bitter. The vegetal notes don’t dry down kindly.
This is, for me, is a below-average Jabali and a below-average Mal Bien. It’s not very aromatic, wh
Tyler
610 reviewsNot getting any of those typical maguey Jabali notes. Aromas of strawberries. Sweet berries and herbs on the palate along with a dash of agave syrup. Really tasty mezcal, just not what I was expecting. The empty glass carries some of that starchy Jabali smell. 0418HSA batch.
Sipping again in June 2021. Similar notes as previously. Some fruity notes with that starchy backend. Pretty enjoyable but not something I’d buy a full bottle of. Lot 1119HSA. Nov. 2019 batch. 50% ABV.
Rakhal
397 reviewsBatch 0418HSA. I would have never guessed this was a Jabali, very unique and interesting. Anise flavors like crushed fennel seed, cloves, cinnamon, and some savory vegetal notes of roast agave and briny green olives. I like it.
Jonny
634 reviews04/18 batch. Complex nose. Aromas of cloves, allspice, dry grass, and hay. Anise and butterscotch flavors right up front. They hit the back of the palate as well with some toasted fennel, butter, and brown sugar. This is a really interesting Jabali. It’s very different from most of the Jabali I’ve tried in the past.