Mal Bien Mexicano Verde – Cortes is made with maguey Mexicano Verde by the father and son duo of Felipe and Ageo Cortes.
About this destilado de agave
Mal Bien Mexicano Verde – Cortes is made with maguey Mexicano Verde (Agave Rhodacantha) 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 Mezcal
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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Rakhal
229 reviewsLot 1118. Aromatic and fruity! Incense, menthol, tiger balm, tamarind paste, and yes…I’m definitely tasting Fruit Loops cereal. Really good.
Wild Common
10 reviewsOk, this is some next level juice. LONG complex flavors will keep you smiling. Bang-up job!
pallzley
16 reviewsmal bien
verde mexicano, batch 1118AC
Nose of slate, salted cucumber skins, tamarind candy.
Acidic and noticeably saline. Very little bitterness. A little tannic. Palate of black peppered preserved artichoke, salted green plum. Orange (and dare I say ‘rusty’) sand, not quite like copper. Aftertaste of preserved tamarind, and cucumber. I have the slightest sweet ocean breeze taste 10 seconds later. I would have guessed this was made from a cuixe, and not so much a mexicano. Makes an interesting and fun negroni, few drops of xocolatl (mole/chocolate) bitters and a flamed cinnamon stick. Feels lower in abv than 49%. Challenging but interesting
mal bien
verde mexicano, batch 1118AC
Nose of slate, salted cucumber skins, tamarind candy.
Acidic and noticeably saline. Very little bitterness. A little tannic. Palate of black peppered preserved artichoke, salted green plum. Orange (and dare I say ‘rusty’) sand, not quite like copper. Aftertaste of preserved tamarind, and cucumber. I have the slightest sweet ocean breeze taste 10 seconds later. I would have guessed this was made from a cuixe, and not so much a mexicano. Makes an
Jonny
467 reviewsLot 1118.Crazy nose! Very dark aromas of dates, dried figs, overripe mango, and dark chocolate dipped cherries. The palate has some high peaking treble points upfront and is generally much lighter and brighter than the nose. This tastes like Fruit Loops cereal. Notes of strawberries, orange soda, grape soda, and sugar. This tastes like every color in a bowl of Fruit Loops. Wild and entertaining ride.