PBMichiganWolverine
Del Maguey Arroqueño Mezcal
Mezcal Joven — Oaxaca, Mexico
Reviewed
July 5, 2019 (edited December 3, 2021)
I cracked open this bottle of mezcal, namely because was just in the mood for a non-whiskey for my Friday eve once -a-week pour.
This is what Del Maguey refers to as “vino de mezcal”. It’s one of their rarer mezcals, made with nothing except agave and the Oaxacan heat. The arroqueno agave is one of the hardest ones to harvest. It grows at an elevation of 5000 ft, is a huge prehistoric looking spiky plant, and can take up to 25 years before it can be harvested. Then it’s milled by hand, and left to ferment in the open air until two distillations.
Until I had this , my favorite mezcal had been Del Maguey Chichicapa. This blows that out of the water. I had to let it sit out for a while, and add just a few drops of water. But once I did that, I got freshly cut rosemary aroma. Taste was amazing—-cantaloupes, mint, a bit of light earthy smoke. One of the more complex spirits I’ve had, and easily the best mezcal. Complexity rivals that of top tier single malts. Now, here’s the kicker—-only 360 bottles of this is produced. Yeah...I’d classify that in the rare category.
If it’s still available, you won’t be disappointed, especially at $80-110 price range.
90.0
USD
per
Bottle
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@Rick_M Awesome! Yeah, plz let us know how u feel about it. 🙂
@Rick_M curious to know what you think. Personally I loved it...best mezcal I’ve had yet ( not that I’ve had many )
@PBMichiganWolverine and @KRB80 - Thanks for the tips on this one! I was able to track down a couple bottles. I was already a big fan of Del Maguey. One of these will be drank sooner rather than later. :)
@KRB80 - Thanks for the leads!
@Rick_M Actually, I just check Old Town Tequila’s website and they have the DM Arroqueno on sale for $95.99.
@Rick_M I think I found the only one left in the wild around the Providence/Boston area although I paid more than PB did; $135. I got it at Julio’s Liquors in MA and they still list it in their site but unsure if it’s accurate. You might wanna check into it if interested. I wish delivery of alcohol was officially legal in RI because I’d spend a fortune at Old Town Tequila in San Diego. Maybe that’s a good thing though. Haha. My best friend did just recently move back to the area however. 🤔
@Rick_M well worth it. Considering rarity of arroquenos , relatively reasonable price point ( compared to scotch at least), and Del Maguey’s craftsmanship
@PBMichiganWolverine - you have me looking under rocks for this one.
@PBMichiganWolverine oh, I plan on it. I’ve bought 19 bottles in the past 1.5 months so I have a lot of catching up to do. Also, you are spot on that while still an expensive point of entry (for the wild agaves at least), these mezcals are every bit as complex as the most extraordinary scotches at a lot less, relatively.
@KRB80 nice—pop this one open and enjoy it—really well made
@PBMichiganWolverine thank you, man. I have an unopened bottle already and have had some of a friend’s. One of my most sought after bottles is the El Jolgorio Arroqueño.
@KRB80 I think Los Siestos has an arroqueno too, but from the little I know, Del Maguey’s is supposedly made more skillfully. At 360 bottles, yeah—probably getting harder to come by. If you’re in the US, let me know if you can’t find it—I can send over a pour.
Oh yes...this is a good one. Nice review! I’ve been trying to seek out more arroquenos but they are hard to come by as opposed to most other wild agaves.