Mal Bien Madrecuixe – Cortes is made with maguey Madrecuixe by the father and son duo of Felipe and Ageo Cortes.
About this destilado de agave
Mal Bien Madrecuixe – Cortes is made with maguey Madrecuixe that are cooked in an underground oven for 8-10 days with the following types of wood: Encino, Yegareche, Mesquite, and Palo de Aguila. The agave are milled immediately after the cook by ox drawn tahona. The milled agave are fermented in open air tinas for 3-8 days and then double distilled in a copper refrescadera still.
Felipe and his son Ageo are the 3rd and 4th generations of the Cortes family to produce mezcal in the Miahuatlán District of Oaxaca, an area famous for its abundance and diversity of A. karwinskii sub-species (madrecuixe, tobaxiche, etc.). The community of Mengoli de Morelos where they live and work has a population of just under 200 people. They are related to the neighboring Ramos family via Felipe’s wife (Ageo’s mother), Cesilia, whose sister Cleotilde is married to Victor Ramos.
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.
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HighWine
75 reviewsNose is very fruity: fruit candy like jelly beans or strawberry Starburst chews. I also get fruit preserves and when I look for it, a touch so smoke. Taste starts off boozy but that mellows immediately. I get grapefruit, tarragon, and sage. Medium-full in the mouth. I am loving this and enjoying it way more than I thought I would. A banger.
Zack Klamn
512 reviewsNose – Perfect under lying floral notes. Fresh chopped wood ready for the campfire.
Palate – Very interesting sweet flavor I can’t pin down, it’s what I imagine some flower-flavored Jolly Rancher to taste like. Encino smoke and Cherry Loops candy in the finish. The flavors don’t totally jive with me but this just feels like an exceptionally crafted mezcal.
Tyler
612 reviewsAn excellent Madrecuixe from some of the best mezcaleros on earth. Don Felipe has distilled a few of my all-time favorites mezcales. This Madrecuixe is packed with their signature mineral complexity. It has some of those blueberry frosting notes which are present in the 50/50 Tobala-Madrecuixe 2015 from Don Felipe. I’ve been sitting on this sample for a while now and wish I’d opened it earlier; full bottles are likely long gone off the shelves. Batch 0415FC from April 2015.
TheAgaveFairy
168 reviews0415FC 15 April 2021 48.82%
Nose: I do love their clean karwinskiis, and this has a delectable chemical note that’s pleasant like paint markers. Cherry and mild vanilla and cola, white corn, gentle hazelnut, golden raisin, white grapefruit, lemon blossom and wildflower honey.
Palate: Not quite as clean and fruity as the nose, but showing more earth and chemical. Grass fire, green plantain, lime comes up. Oh look, those are all green grass-like notes. The finish shows more of what the nose offered, cherry galore and that touch of brown sugar. Nice vibrant acidity! Only some mild bitter notes on the midpalate, a touch sour at times.
Thoughts: I’ve always loved their juice. Consistent, strong in character, in a style that I really love.
Conclusion and “t8ke” scale rating: 7/10. A *stellar* example of Miahuatlan karwinskii! Tempted to go higher on the rating…
0415FC 15 April 2021 48.82%
Nose: I do love their clean karwinskiis, and this has a delectable chemical note that’s pleasant like paint markers. Cherry and mild vanilla and cola, white corn, gentle hazelnut, golden raisin, white grapefruit, lemon blossom and wildflower honey.
Palate: Not quite as clean and fruity as the nose, but showing more earth and chemical. Grass fire, green plantain, lime comes up. Oh look, those are all green grass-like notes. The finish shows more of what the nose off
Rakhal
398 reviews0415FC. This has been sitting in glass for five years and you can tell. So clean and perfectly balanced. Jonny really nailed the tasting notes on this one. Tons of flowers, perfectly ripe papaya, and carrot cake with cream cheese vanilla frosting. This is just beautiful.
Jonny
634 reviewsFloral and mineral aromas. The palate is light, fruity, and flowery. Notes of sweet papaya, mango, flower pollen, and orange cream. Very mellow and well settled.