El Jolgorio Madrecuixe Mezcal
El Jolgorio Madrecuixe Mezcal is wild agave at full expression: 100% wild-harvested Agave Madrecuixe (Agave karwinskii), harvested at 13 years and double-distilled by mezcalero Ignacio Parada in Santa María Zoquitlán, Oaxaca — around 94 proof in this 750mL bottle — and it is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
Madrecuixe grows tall and columnar in Oaxaca's rugged highlands, with a dense core and low water content that concentrates flavor over 13 slow years. Production is fully traditional: pit-roasted, crushed by mule-drawn tahona, open-fermented, and double-distilled — the artisanal method El Jolgorio applies across its fifteen-expression range, each from a different rare agave.
Tasting notes: abundant floral and fresh green/vegetal aromas; earthy and mineral on the palate with a background smokiness; clean, fresh finish with a subtle salty-mineral trace (92 points, Distiller).
Why buy the Madrecuixe? Because karwinskii agaves give some of the most distinctive flavors in mezcal — green, floral, mineral — and this is a textbook example from a master. Compare with the El Jolgorio brand collection, browse the mezcal collection, and explore all tequila & mezcal.
Serving note: neat in a copita; the green, floral character opens beautifully with a few minutes of air.
What agave is Madrecuixe? Agave karwinskii — a tall, wild Oaxacan agave harvested at around 13 years.
Who makes it? Mezcalero Ignacio Parada in Santa María Zoquitlán, Oaxaca.
What proof is it? Around 94 proof (approximately 47% ABV) — ABV varies by batch.
How is it made? Pit-roasted, mule-drawn tahona-crushed, open-fermented, and double-distilled.